


The Catalyst

by Yvette J (HowNovel)



Category: Starman (TV), The Dukes of Hazzard (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 07:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 39,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4383287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Yvette%20J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paul and Scott find themselves stranded and meet up with the gang from Hazzard County. </p><p> </p><p>Revised and updated story from original written in 1996.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> Forward: This story was originally written as a parody back in 1996, but about a decade later, I realized that it actually had the potential to be more than just a silly story that was posted through email. It was then revamped into the story you now see. I know that at this time in history this subject matter may not be the most politically correct, but considering how I grew up watching the Dukes of Hazzard, I think that it would be okay to share. There is nothing questionable in this story; it’s just a piece of updated and edited fan fiction.

  
**The Catalyst**  
A _Starman / Dukes of Hazzard_ Crossover Story  
By Yvette J. 

Copyright © 1996, revised July 2015 All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction based on characters and situations created in the 1984 feature film and 1986-87 television series, STARMAN. It is an amateur publication circulated without profit for the enjoyment of fellow fans. No infringement of existing copyrights is intended.   
  
---  
  
“Paul and Scott quickly learned that hitching rides in the rain was close to impossible," said the balladeer as the sounds of a guitar being strummed filled the rainy area. “The two-lane road seemed to stretch out before them like a tunnel with no end in sight. The sky was gray and appeared as though dusk had fallen instead of it being early afternoon.”

Finally, Scott Hayden stopped walking and looked around. There was no one standing near him, in fact the Georgia scenery was the same as it has always been; green trees, gray sky, and the state road that ran in from east to west. After several moments, he cast another wary glance around, but watched as his father, Paul Forrester, continued to walk. The alien’s brusque steps slopped along, thus indicating that tennis shoes did not seem to mix where they stood or the direction they were heading. “Wait a minute, Dad. First, I hear funny voices, and then this strange music. Please tell me you hear it too and that I’m not cracking up.”

Paul stopped and shifted his weight around. The strap to his camera bag, he moved from one shoulder to the other as he listened carefully. When the strumming of the guitar started again, he stopped and nodded, “Yes I hear something, but I don’t see anyone.” He raised his voice. “Who’s there?”

The guitar strumming stopped and the voice spoke up again. “Don’t worry ya’ll, I’m just the balladeer. I help tell the story every week.”

Scott shrugged his shoulders but looked at his father. The alien looked somewhat bewildered, but leaned over and whispered to his son. “Scott, what is a ‘balladeer’?”

The teenager took a deep breath. “No idea. I guess that guy is sort of like a narrator, and kind of helps the story along. As if we ever had that sort of problem on our show. I figured if anyone would need that sort of thing, it would be us.”

“I hope not,” Paul said. “It’s very strange, but when that music starts up, I get the feeling that I’m hearing a stereo in my brain. Let’s just keep going.”

They continued to walk and eventually the blacktop road disappeared and a muddy path replaced it. “Oh great,” muttered Scott, grimacing in disgust. “What more could happen? I’m already soaked as is.” The thought of slopping across the county caked with mud was not such an appealing idea for either father or son.

“I guess taking the path is our only option, Scott. Fox wasn’t too far behind us and we have to put some distance between him and us.” Suddenly, they turned around and saw headlights of an oncoming car. Scott wanted to hail the car, but Paul felt uneasy about doing so. He ran towards some bushes that were along the side of the road and Scott followed.

“I thought we were trying to get a ride, not avoid them,” Scott complained.

Paul nodded. “I know, but, I had this very strange feeling about that and I didn’t want to risk it. If that’s Fox, we would have been in serious trouble.” He figured that if they could get to the next town, then they would be all right and could lay low for a while. They watched as a dark colored tow truck barreled by where they had been walking before they had taken cover.

“Dad, I don’t think that one was Fox,” Scott finally said. “Tow trucks aren’t his style.”

“Well then I was wrong,” Paul responded casually and the two of them continued to walk.

“Do you think there’s a chance we can find a warm dry place to sleep tonight or are we doomed to sleep out in the rain?” Scott asked after a few minutes had passed.

Paul shook his head regretfully. “I don’t know we seem to be out in the middle of nowhere.”

The music started up again, this time the two of them ignored it and continued to trudge through the mud.

“With their spirits about as damp as their appearances, they continued to walk trying to avoid the deeper mud holes which spotted the path,” the Balladeer said. “The rain continued to pour down on them and Paul wished that he could have at least provided his son with an umbrella.”

As they continued to walk, Paul observed everything that was going on around him and finally noticed that they had passed a sign. ‘Entering Hazzard County — Speed Limit 55’. Without any warning, the number flipped and read ‘35’ instead of ‘55’. Paul made a mental note and they continued to walk.  
  
---  
  
“As the two strangers were making their way along the muddy road, Daisy Duke had just finished her afternoon shift at the _Boar’s Nest_ , the Hazzard County hangout, where she worked as a waitress,” the Balladeer said.

The sky seemed to have already started to split apart when she opened the door and noticed that the rain was now falling in sheets. She looked around the parking lot, her gaze coming to rest on the beat up white pickup truck that belonged to her Uncle Jesse. He had insisted that she drive it to work instead of her jeep.

She stepped outside and ran through the rain, across the parking lot and over to the truck. It was no secret that the area looked as though it had been rained out and basically reminded her of the last Hazzard County Rodeo. All that seemed to be missing were the wild horses, bulls, and the drunken crowd.

Getting behind the wheel, her thoughts were racing. _I’d better stay off Route 8,_ she thought as she started the motor. She turned the windshield wipers on as fast as they would go, and realized that they still did not seem to do much of a job at keeping the rain at bay. _I just hope I don't get stuck getting back home,_ she thought as she shifted gears and drove away from her workplace.

She turned left down a muddy road, but suddenly stopped when a white patrol car pulled up in front of her and seemed to be moving at a slower than slow pace. “Enos,” she whispered under her breath as a small smile touched her lips and she watched as it slipped through the patches of mud in front of her.

From her position, she could see the flat sides of his deputy’s hat, and she smiled. Enos Strate was probably the nicest guy in all of Hazzard County, but his job as deputy seemed a mystery to the version of the law as practiced by JD Hogg and Rosco P. Coltrane. After several minutes, she was suddenly shot back to the present when she heard his voice filling the cab of the truck.

“Daisy, do ya need an escort back home?” The question of the sweet sounding county deputy emerged.

Smiling slightly, she picked up the radio. “I should be fine, Enos honey,” she said, almost sensing that the deputy on the other end probably had taken on the hue of a tomato left out in the sun too long. She smiled at the thought of his bright smile, and caring eyes, but instead of hanging him on some sort of line, she continued speaking. “Don’t ya worry none about me, now. It’s not all that far back to the farm and I’ve driven this route so many times I could do it blindfolded.”

“I wouldn’t suggest that now, honey,” he said with a weak laugh, and this made her giggle despite herself. Perhaps it was his innocent-like humor that really touched her. She did not know why, but there was something sincere in his words that made her smile.

“That’s cute, Enos,” she said.

“Well, then I’ll just be on my way,” his voice once more emerged and she sighed.

 _He seems so sad that he couldn’t help me,_ she thought, all the while remembering how Uncle Jesse always said that one should not lie if one did not require the assistance. Over time, she had increasingly grown tired of toying with the deputy’s feelings.

Daisy knew that Enos loved her, just about everyone in Hazzard County did, and ever since that incident where she nearly married him, she had not been able to get him out of her mind. He was really much kinder than the ‘good old boys’ that she met at work, and he certainly cared for her in a way that felt new and different to her.

She watched as Enos’ car turned off the road and started its way back towards town and she continued on her way back to the farm. It would be wise to hurry, she thought.

After several minutes, her thoughts her thoughts shifted back to her family. _I hate having to drive the long way back, especially when Uncle Jesse has probably made something really good for lunch,_ she thought. _He’s probably also makin’ Bo and Luke wait for me before they can dig in._

She pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor and could hear the sounds of the truck’s motor gunning as it slopped through the mud and guck. After about a mile down the road, the engine turned over and suddenly, without warning, stalled out.

“This is just great,” she muttered under her breath. “Maybe I really should have taken Enos up on his offer for an escort.” She turned the key, but all she could hear was the sound of the engine trying to start. Eventually, she released the key only to hear the sound of the pouring rain as it fell down on the truck. After a couple of seconds, she reached for the CB. “Bo Peep callin’ the shepherd,” she began, all the while using the codename for her uncle. When no acknowledgement came over the wire, she tried again. “Bo? Luke? Cooter? Enos?” When no answer emerged, she replaced the CB, and took a deep breath.

Seconds later, and from out of nowhere, someone tapped on the slightly cracked window and spoke. “Excuse me?”

Daisy quickly turned around and beheld a tall dark headed man with the bluest eyes she had ever seen standing alongside the truck. The man was accompanied by a teenager and both of them were dripping wet and seemed to be searching for some sort of shelter from the rain. “Hey fellas, what are y’all doing out here?” she asked.

“Trying to find a way out of here,” the teenager said.

She continued to regard the man. He was cute, perhaps in his thirties and was dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, which made him look like a Hazzard County local. The only things that set him apart were the duffle bag he carried and the sport shoes he wore on his feet. The teenager was dressed in a t-shirt and blue denim jacket, and like the man, he had tennis shoes on his feet and a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. Both appeared as though they had been living out at the Hazzard swamp for the past decade.

Daisy could not help but wonder how in the world the two of them could get stuck in the middle of nowhere, in the pouring rain with no car. “Yes, that may not be the easiest way to do that around here. Y’all nearly gave me a heart attack, and that ain’t the proper way to win friends and influence people.”

“I’m sorry,” the man said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s alright, but what are y’all doing out here?” she asked.

“Well, let’s see, I guess the best answer is that we lost our way back to the ark and were looking for directions,” the teenager said with a sarcastic smirk.

“The ark?” The man asked, clearly confused and Daisy had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the man’s innocent question.

 _They must be strangers,_ she thought as she tried to conceal a small giggle. “Cute, response there, kiddo,” she said.

“I guess asking you for a ride is out of the question,” the teenager said.

“Well it won’t be if either of y’all know happen to know anything about how to fix a car,” She said. “If ya do, then I’ll be glad to give ya a lift out of this mud-hole to wherever y’all need to go.”

The man looked at her with the same puzzled look on his face. "What lift?" he asked.

Daisy looked at him skeptically. “I meant, I’ll give y’all a ride,” she said. “What are y’all’s names?”

“I’m Paul Forrester and this is my son, Scott.”

Scott looked at Daisy. “Do you know what’s wrong with your truck?”

“No, I tried to radio in for a mechanic, but he’s probably up to his head in work,” she said. “Besides, if I knew what was wrong, then I might be able to fix it myself.”

Scott nudged Paul, “maybe you could have a look at it, Dad.”

Paul nodded. “Of course, I’ll take a look at it.” He was not certain as to what he could do, but politeness seemed to be the rule of order in this area and maybe by some miracle it would be something he could fix.

Daisy got out, the rain now ignored as she went around to the front of the truck. With a fist, she managed to pop the hood.

Paul stood off to one side, but motioned to Scott, who came over. “See if you can distract her while I try and figure out what is wrong with it,” he said. “I might have to do something ‘weird’.” As he spoke, his eyebrows rose and fell as though the alien was trying out his humor again.

Scott nodded and looked at Daisy. “If you can’t do anything with it, then maybe we should get in the cab so you won’t get any wetter than you already are,” he offered.

“I’m afraid it won’t do much good,” she said honestly. “I already look about as much like a drowned rat as y’all do.”

“Good point,” the teenager said as they both went and got into the cab of the truck while Paul pulled the silver metallic sphere from his pocket. Once they were inside, Scott deposited their belongings on the floorboard of the truck. “Maybe you should continue to try and radio for help,” he suggested. “You know, just in case my dad can’t fix it.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” she said and reached for the radio. “Bo Peep callin’ Shepherd; ya out there Uncle Jesse?” A pause, but instead of hearing Jesse’s voice emerging, Enos’ voice once more emerged.

“Daisy?” he asked. “Is something the matter, honey?”

“Enos?” She spoke. “Oh thank goodness. No one else is picking up, and I was starting to worry that this thing was busted. Ya know I probably should have taken ya up on that escort offer ya made, the truck just stalled out about a mile from where ya turned off.”

“Do ya want me to double back?” he asked. “I can, it would be no trouble.”

“Yes, but if this stranger fella can fix it, and y’can take this road back to the farm. If he can’t then we’ll start hiking our way back. No one should be stuck out here in this downpour. I’ll be sure to radio ya when I get back, regardless of what I do end up doing,” she said.

“Does Uncle Jesse know that you’re stuck out there?” he asked.

“No, and I can’t reach any of them,” she said. “Are the CBs out?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll keep on this channel and will be there in two shakes,” he said. “Enos out.”

Daisy looked at Scott with relief shadowing her face. “Well, at least if your daddy can’t help us, then my friend Enos will pick us up,” she said nodding. “That was a good idea ya had to try again.”

Scott nodded. “I sometimes have a good idea,” he said as he looked into the eyes of the pretty country lady.

“Yeah, I reckon ya do,” she said as Paul raised his head.

“OK, give it a try,” he called out above the pouring rain. He waited for Daisy to turn the key. As she did, the truck roared to life. He closed the hood and came around to the passenger side. “I think you’re ready to roll,” he said smiling. “Hopefully it will stay fixed Miss, uh, I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

“Daisy Duke,” she said. “Y’all can just call me Daisy. Now hop on in, and I’ll at least get ya up to the house for a hot meal and some dry clothes. I hope that sounds good.”

Paul smiled and nodded but looked down at his lap, which was now caked with mud. “I’m sorry about getting mud all over everything.”

Daisy shrugged her shoulders. “Ya can’t expect much when the bottom falls out like this.” Paul gave her another puzzled look. Seeing this, she smiled. “Ya’ll aren’t from around these parts, are ya?”

Paul shook his head and Scott smiled. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, one could say that ya sort of stand out a bit,” Daisy said with a smile but kept her eyes on the path ahead. “‘Course, I know just about everyone here in Hazzard County, so when strangers come around, I can usually pick ‘em out of a crowd. So now that we got the truck going; after ya get some food in your bellies, is there anywhere I can take ya? Or shall we just play it by ear?”

“Play it by ear?” Paul whispered and Scott shook his head.

Daisy looked over at them, “Alright, I figured as much. I’ll tell ya what, after the rain stops, I can take ya to the train station in the next county. How’s that for a plan?”

“That's sounds great, thanks,” Scott said as she pulled the truck from one dirt road onto a smaller one that lead up to a white colored farmhouse.  
  
---  
  
As they came closer they noticed a bright orange colored car parked in front of the house. On one side of the car was a large ‘01’ and the top boasted a confederate flag. Daisy expertly parked the truck up next to the car. Stopping, she pulled the key from the ignition. “Okay, here we are. Y’all grab your things and let’s get inside.”

Once Paul and Scott had their belongings in hand, they got out of the truck and ran towards the farmhouse after Daisy. Reaching it, she swung the front door open and they rushed inside. Before clearing the door, Paul cast a final glance out across the pasture before following them inside.

As soon as they had come inside, the alien smiled. The house was warm and cozy and very welcoming. He and Scott followed Daisy into a small old-fashioned kitchen.

As they came in, they met three men who were sitting at the table. They were all focused on bowls of soup that were in front of them, but only raised their heads when Daisy spoke.

“Hey fellas, I’m back, and I brought guests,” she said. The eldest of the three, a man with gray hair and sporting blue overalls stood up and looked at her. The first thing he noticed was that she was wet.

“Have you been swimming, Daisy?” he asked with a small chuckle.

“Nearly, the truck gave out halfway between the Boar’s Nest and the house,” Daisy said. “If it weren’t for Paul and Scott here, I’d still be sitting out there trying to radio for help. Where were y’all, I have been trying to reach ya for the last half hour.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Jesse said. “I guess during the time you were radioing in, that the boys and I were trying to get the cover on your jeep and put some plastic over the ‘General’s’ windows so they wouldn’t get wet the next time they wanted to go for a drive.”

“Well, at least, ya made it,” one of the younger men said, this one a blond with a cute and boyish looking face. He looked over and saw Paul and Scott in the doorway. “Who did ya say those guys are again?”

“That's Paul, and this is Scott. They were caught out in the rain as well, and after they helped with getting the truck started, I gave them a lift here. They were stuck out in this downpour and I figured it wasn’t fit for man or beast.”

“Well fellas, what are ya waitin’ for?” The older man said, stood up and walked over to Paul. He stuck his hand out. “Jesse Duke. That there's Bo,” he said as he pointed to the blond. “And that's Luke,” he pointed to the brunette. He walked past them out of the kitchen and returned a few moments later with two more chairs. Those he placed at the table. “I reckon that before ya two get some soup in your bellies that you get changed into something warm and dry. I’ll see if I can rustle you up some dry jeans and a couple of shirts.”

Scott smiled as he and Paul followed Jesse through the house. They entered a small bedroom and Jesse looked at Paul. “Y’all can drop your things here. If ya need the bathroom, ya just go across the hall and help yourself. I’ll be back in a jiffy with those clothes.” With that, he left them in the room and Paul looked at Scott.

“They seem nice,” he said.

“Country folks generally are,” Scott said.

Within seconds, Jesse returned with two shirts. “These should help. They aren’t fancy, but they are clean and dry and should ward off pneumonia.”

“Thank you very much Mr. Duke,” he said.

“My pleasure,” he said and left the room just as quickly as he came.  
  
---  
  
By this time, Jesse had returned to the kitchen and found Daisy seated at the table, dipping up a bowl of soup for herself. “So what’s their story?” he asked.

“Paul and Scott found me broken down over near ‘Martian Ridge’. They were soaked to the bone and since they stopped and helped me out, I thought I could bring ‘em here and they could dry off and freshen up,” Daisy explained. “It seems they’re on the road quite a bit. They were carryin’ bags and stuff and had no idea where I should take them after havin’ some lunch. They seemed relieved when I suggested the train station in the next county.”

“Don’t bet on it,” Bo said.

“Yeah,” Luke added. “They probably won’t be getting out of Hazzard any time today. The whole area’s flooded out and I reckon that the next county is as well. OI’ Cooter’s been pullin’ people out of the mud all day long. He said that this weather gives his shop a heaping of business.”

Jesse nodded and looked out the window, “It’s lookin’ like we got guests for dinner then.” He paused and continued looking back at Daisy. “Did they say anything about where they're from or where they were headin’?”

“Not a word,” she said. “But, I figured they’d tell us after they dried off.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It’s not like they are wanted for somethin’,” Jesse added.

Moments later, they abruptly heard a knock at the door. “Well, I wonder who in tarnation that could be?” Muttered Daisy as she stood up and rushed to open the door. “I guess I can’t keep anyone standin’ out there waitin’ in the rain.”

As soon as she opened the door, she gasped as she looked into the hazel eyes of the deputy. “Oh, Enos, I’m so sorry, I was supposed to radio ya back and I guess after I made it back, it sort of slipped my mind.”

“That’s alright, Daisy,” he said politely as he averted his eyes and bit down on his lip. “Ya mind if I come in? It’s really wet out here.”

“Of course, Enos, come on in,” Daisy said as she stepped aside and watched as he strolled into the house. As he did, he removed his hat.

Once he had come into the living room, he stood there awkwardly in the middle of the room. “Mind if I sit down?” He asked as though he was a shy teenager asking a girl out on a first date.

“Maybe you’d better not, Enos, you’re soaked to the bone,” she said. “I’ll run get ya a towel. I’ll be right back, don’tcha go anywhere now.”

As she spoke, Luke sauntered through the room carrying two pairs of blue jeans. “Well, Howdy Enos. Come to call on Daisy?” He snickered and made his way towards the room where Paul and Scott were waiting. As the door closed in the hallway, his laughter faded.

Enos stood there, his face flushed, but instead of leaving, he waited for Daisy to return. Once she did, her face was filled with anger. “I heard him, he shouldn’t be so mean,” she grumbled as she looked at the flustered deputy.

“I don’t mean to make things bad for ya, Daisy, I just wanted to make sure ya got home okay. After your little mishap with the truck, I thought it was only right,” he said, his head lowered as though he was talking to the rug.

“That’s very nice of you, Enos,” said Jesse entering the room. “We weren’t inside to get the radio call, so it was nice that you were there to take up the slack for us.” He turned and looked at her. “Did Luke find those two pair of jeans I was looking for?”

“He was carrying what looked to be jeans back to the guest room, Uncle Jesse, Sir,” Enos said.

“Fine, fine,” he said and left the room once again. As soon as he was gone, Enos looked at Daisy.

“I didn’t want to put ya through any trouble Daisy,” he said clearly flustered, “not on my account, anyway.”

“Ya didn’t, I just hope Luke didn’t embarrass ya when he was shooting off his mouth,” she said. “Ya want a bowl of soup or a cold drink or somethin’?”

“No, I need to get back on duty,” he said regretfully. “I just wanted to make sure ya were okay. I was a bit worried about ya.”

“You have no reason to worry about me, Enos, I’m fine,” she said smiling.

“I, uh, well, I like worryin’ about ya, Daisy,” he said before he could realize these words had escaped from between his lips and his face once more flushed crimson.

“I appreciate that,” she said smiling up at him.  
  
---  
  
By this time, Luke had entered the room where Paul and Scott were. “Hey fellas, sorry that took a tad longer than expected, but these jeans should fit y’all just fine,” he said.

“What’s going on?” Scott asked. “I just heard voices from the other room. Is someone else taking refuge here?”

“Not really,” Luke said with a smirk. “Ol’ Enos is here making the woos for Daisy. He’s only had a crush on her since forever. Well, ya live around here long enough, ya start to be able to predict the next time he’s gonna come in and start pouring on the sugar. Everyone in town knows that he’s sweet on her. Let’s just say that we have been known to use it to our benefit whenever possible.”

“Why do people make fun of him? If he loves her, shouldn’t he just say so?” Paul asked his confusion evident.

“Well, I’d guess that because he’s the deputy of this here county and an easy target,” said Luke. “Behind the badge though, he’s quite harmless.” He chortled and left Paul and Scott to dry off in private.

As soon as he was gone, Scott threw the dry jeans on the bed and started to grab for the duffle bag that was in the corner of the room. He reached for his father’s arm as his anxious words emerged. “Dad, we’ve gotta get out of here,” he said urgently.

“Why?” Paul asked.

“A deputy is a _cop_ ,” said Scott. “If he finds out about us being here then these people could get into trouble with Fox. You, yourself said that he was not that far behind us.”

Paul's face registered surprise as he approached the half-closed door and tried to listen to the conversation that was drifting back from the living room. “He seems to be talking to Daisy, and is very confused about it. Aside from that, we have to consider that we won’t be able to go anywhere until this Enos is gone,” he whispered. He put his finger to his lips indicating that it would be a good idea to remain quiet.

They continued to listen as the Duke family eventually reassembled in the living room with Enos and Daisy.

“I really can’t stay for your soup, Uncle Jesse,” Enos was saying as he looked at Jesse. “I thank y’all for the offer, but I need to get back on duty. I suppose I only wanted to make sure y’all were okay.”

“Nah, he just wants to make sure Daisy’s okay.” Bo poked Luke, a snicker emerging, and once more the deputy flushed.

“You two hush!” Jesse scolded. Instantly, the room fell silent. No one disobeyed Jesse Duke. Eventually, the patriarch of the family looked at the fidgeting deputy. “Yeah, Enos, we’re all fine, thank you for your concern though.”

Enos looked at the family. “Oh there was something I was meaning to tell y’all, officially that is.”

“What is it, Enos?” Daisy asked.

“Well, I heard that the sheriff said that Boss Hogg is supposed to be paid a visit by some hot shot fella from the US government sometime today. I’m guessing it is not much though. Mr. Hogg probably has to pay more fines for some illegal activity or other. I just think that if y’all don’t have to go into town, that it’d be better, at least until that fella is gone. That’s pretty much what I’m doin’.”

“Did he say what the government guy might want?” asked Daisy.

Enos shook his head. “No, but my guess there’s probably some money involved. Why else would Mr. Hogg and Sheriff Coltrane be so interested in the feds? Personally, I’m surprised that anyone can get into town with all this rain.” Enos shook his head. “That’s all I can tell ya. From what I was able to hear, maybe it has to do with some drifter coming into Hazzard County. Have any of y’all seen something out of the ordinary around here lately?”

Daisy shook her head. “No, unless it’s finding strangers in Hazzard County, covered in rain and mud over near Martian Ridge counts for strange.”

“I doubt it, unless they really are Martians or something.” Enos laughed weakly at his own joke while Bo and Luke exchanged amused glances.

Jesse looked outside, “Well, Enos, unless ya intend to become our next roommate, I’d suggest that you get going before you end up getting stranded out here.”

“He wouldn’t mind,” Bo said nudging Luke, who laughed as Daisy shot them a murderous glare.

Instead of responding to this, Enos nodded in concurrence as he walked to the door. “Ya’ll take it easy, and if I find out anything, I’ll keep ya posted.” He put his hat on at the door and ran out to his patrol car.

As soon as his car started and Enos sped away from the house, Paul finally stepped away from the door. Seconds later, Bo tapped on the closed door and came in. When he saw that the two of them were still dressed in their wet clothing, he took a deep breath. “Hey, don’t the jeans that Luke gave y’all, fit?”

Paul smiled weakly, “We haven't tried them on yet.”

Bo took a deep breath and looked at Paul. “You fellas in some kind of trouble with the law?” he finally asked.

Paul cocked his head to one side and looked at Bo. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you fellas are strangers in Hazzard County, and then we hear about this government guy who is rumored to be running amuck around these parts.” Bo grinned as he counted the points on his fingers. “Oh heck, maybe it’s just coincidence, why don’t y’all get changed and come to the table. Uncle Jesse is warming the soup and on a day like this one, it might just hit the spot.”

Scott was glad to hear that, he was really hungry and was anxious to eat as much soup as Jesse was willing to give him. “Maybe, we can stick around until the rain lets up,” he said.

Paul nodded. “Yes, I think this would be the best idea.” He turned to Bo. “What makes you so sure we’re on the run?”

“I don’t know,” Bo said. “Perhaps, it was because you were plastered to the door when Enos was here and I know that it was not to pick up on dating tips.” He chuckled as his expression softened. “Paul, I'm gonna go out on a limb and lay my cards out on the table. We’ve had more than our share of problems with Hazzard County’s version of the law. Boss Hogg doesn't like anyone, unless you're green with numbers on ya, preferably if ya got lots of zeros printed on you behind those ones and twos.”

Paul looked at Bo. “What do you mean?”

“Basically, if there’s money involved, then Boss Hogg is there with bells on,” Bo said. “He’s interested in two things; money and food.”

“Sounds like quite an interesting fellow.” Scott said.

“Yeah, well, just stay away from him, and you’ll be fine,” Bo said as Luke walked in.

“What's up?” Luke asked. “Why haven’t y’all tried those jeans on?”

“Well, Luke, it seems as though our friends here are on the run. I’d be willing to wager that what Enos said really hit home with these two.” Bo said.

Luke nodded his head as he walked over to the bed and sat down. “So, you guys gonna tell us what this is all about?”

Paul looked at Luke. _It seems as though these country folks really aren't as I assumed. They seem to be much more assertive and not quite in the dark as one might initially believe._ “Well, it’s really hard to explain.”

Scott thought quickly, “My dad was kind of in some trouble over ten years ago,” he began. “There was something about a protest against Vietnam, right Dad?”

“Uh, yeah right,” Paul said quickly, but this only caused the two cousins to exchange concerned looks with one another. Eventually Luke spoke.

“Oh, well, if that’s it than okay.”

Luke could not understand how that could be breaking the law, especially if it was over ten years ago, but somehow he and his cousin were always in trouble on trumped up charges, so this did not seem to make much of a difference.

Paul noticed a look of disbelief on Luke's face. “I suppose I always get nervous around policemen. I was once given a black eye by one when he thought I was kissing his fiancé just before their wedding.”

Scott snickered remembering the wedding he attended with Paul and the groom was a DNA specialist for the San Francisco Police Department.

“That must’ve been quite a memory,” Bo said. “Well, if cops make ya nervous, ya better stay clear of Rosco, he could make anyone nervous.”

Paul was surprised that Luke did not ask any more questions. Instead he and Bo attempted to explain a little bit about the laws and politics of Hazzard County.

“So this sign I saw where the speed limit was first 55, and then 35, is that part of the politics here?” Paul asked.

Luke smiled and nodded, “Yeah, that’s the work of Boss Hogg and Rosco. They’re anxious to raise revenue around here.”

“That sounds like a scam,” Paul said.

Bo nodded, “Yeah, that’s pretty much the deal.”

Scott shook his head, “I don't believe it. I thought that kind of stuff was only seen on bad television shows.”

“You fellas are definitely new to Hazzard County,” remarked Daisy as she entered the room. “Boss Hogg is my boss at the Boar’s Nest and I’ve heard so many stories about this man, you wouldn’t believe it.”

“You work for him?” asked Paul.

“Yeah, well I have to work somewhere, don’t I?” she asked defensively.

Scott noticed the edge in her voice and responded. “He didn't mean to offend you, Daisy, he was just asking.”

As soon as these words emerged, her expression softened. “No big deal, I guess should get outta here so y’all can get changed.” With that, she left the room.

“I guess we’re better off without a car, huh Dad?”

Paul nodded as the members of the Duke family left them alone to change, “Yes, it would seem so.”

As they changed into the fresh clothing, Scott looked at his father. “Do you suppose that government guy they mentioned was Fox?”

“I really don't know,” Paul said, “but, I think the best thing we can do now is to get out of here as soon as we can. These people are nice, but this law they mentioned seems to be backwards. All I know is; I don’t want to run into this Rosco person.”

Scott nodded in agreement. “Have you ever heard of such a thing, changing the speed limit sign to get more revenue? This has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. This must really be the sticks.”

“The sticks, what do you mean?” Paul asked.

“I mean really far out in the country, that’s all.” Scott said.

Paul nodded understanding this strange new word. He picked the jeans up from off the bed. “I guess we’d better get changed and get to the kitchen. This family has been quite hospitable, and I don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Do you think that maybe Daisy can take us to the train station later today?” Scott asked.

Paul looked out the small window and saw the rain still coming down. “I don’t know; it seems as though this whole area is flooded. It may be dangerous for her to drive. We may have to walk.”

Scott nodded realizing his father was right. They finished dressing in silence and left the room.  
  
---  
  
“Back at the _Boar’s Nest_ , Boss Hogg was about to sit down and have his lunch.”

A short, fat man dressed entirely in white was about to sit down at a large table. He reached for a red and white cloth napkin and stuck it in his shirt. Inhaling, he stared longingly at a great big turkey, which sat on the table. Various dishes surrounded it filled with potatoes, stuffing, beans, carrots and black-eyed peas. Right as he was about to reach for a drumstick, a voice filtered into the room from outside.

“Boss, Boss...” Without even raising his head, he knew that it matched that of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. After a second, the tall, thin sheriff came bursting through the door and into the room. He was dressed in a blue shirt, black tie and matching black pants. Patches of black fabric covered the breast pockets and shoulders of his uniform. A large cowboy hat was resting on his head and a smile covered his face. He looked the epitome of small town law enforcement, right down to the lazy looking hound dog that rested in his arms.

The dog looked to have the energy of a limp tea bag, but the sheriff seemed more than pleased with his pet. Carefully, he deposited his dog on a nearby sofa and approached the table.

“Rosco, can’t you see I’m busy?” the man bellowed as he grabbed the drumstick from the turkey and pulled on it until it came loose. Once it did, he took a big bite, grunting as he did.

The sheriff reached for a small piece from one side of the turkey, and his hand was immediately slapped by the man in white.

“Jit jit …” emerged, which was rather between that of a stammer and a laugh. He eventually moved his hand away from the turkey. “Boss, me an’ ol’ Flash here were out patrolling. She’s such a good police dawg, ain’t cha Velvet Ears?” He returned to the sofa and gave his dog an affectionate pat on the head. “She can smell a crook from a mile away.”

As he spoke the dog looked up at Boss Hogg and barked, thus causing him to jump.

“Rosco, get to the point, I have to have a good meal before this George Fox is due to come in. I know that he’s not after the shine money, but there’s no telling what he wants.” Boss Hogg’s voice dropped to a barely audible, but dramatic, whisper. “I feel completely weak. I hope this food will give me enough strength for this meeting.”

“Well, Boss, if ya let Flash an’ me take care of George Fox, then you can eat two turkeys and get your strength back,” Rosco offered.

Boss Hogg looked at Rosco contemplating this option. “Why would I do something like that? I might as well give you the key to my bank.” He took another bite and thought for a second that leaving Rosco to speak to Fox would give him the opportunity to eat in peace.

However, that desired peace was about to be destroyed. In walked a short man in a gray business suit dripping wet and followed by a much taller man holding a briefcase and umbrella. “Mr. Hogg?”

Boss Hogg nodded and looked up. _Good grief, he’s early,_ he thought. _Well, there goes lunch._

“I’m Special Agent George Fox from the Federal Security Agency, and this is my assistant Agent Wylie.” The short man introduced himself and his tall, awkward companion to Boss Hogg.

Rosco looked at Fox and then his gaze came to rest on Wylie as a grunting laugh emerged. _Well, it looks like even them government agent fellas have their own dipsticks to contend with,_ he thought with a smug grin. Wylie looked to be about as smart as a box of bricks and he figured that he and Enos would get along famously.

For his part, George Fox looked at Boss Hogg and the table spread with food suddenly made him nauseous. _Does he actually plan to eat all this?_ He asked himself.

As soon as he realized that he had been joined by the man he was supposed to meet, Boss Hogg yanked the napkin away and tossed it on the table. He stood up with effort and not realizing that he was still holding onto the turkey drumstick, he extended the object to Fox. “Welcome to Hazzard County, Mr. Fox, I’m J.D. Hogg, County Commissioner.”

Instead of extending his hand, Fox looked at Boss Hogg with absolute disgust on his face. Boss Hogg finally looked down and noticed that the turkey leg was still his hand, and tossed it to Rosco, who caught it, and put it back on the table.

“My apologies, Mr. Fox,” he began. “I was just sitting down to have my lunch when you came in.”

Fox quickly showed his identification to Boss Hogg and Rosco. Neither men knew a real government badge from a fake one, but that seemed not to deter the agent. “The reason I am here is because I am after a couple of fugitives and I may need…” He paused, the silence looming in the air for a split second as his final two words emerged, “…your help.” He took his jacket off and laid it on a nearby chair as Wylie began to dig around inside his briefcase for the photos his boss needed.

Boss Hogg walked slowly over to Rosco and nudged him. “Well, sheriff, since this is your department, I’d suggest you offer Mr. Fox all the assistance you can.” He sat back down at the table and reached for the drumstick.

“Mr. Hogg, if you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you would assist me in this matter as well,” Fox began. “The national security of this country depends on my catching these people, and the last time we had spotted them, they were on their way into Hazzard County.” He turned to Wylie and stuck his hand out.

As if on cue, Wylie extended the two black and white pictures to his boss.

Fox then handed the photos of Paul and Scott to Boss Hogg, who took them and managed to smear turkey grease across them. “They are traveling together; one is a man, the other his son.” Rosco leaned over to inspect them closer. “Have you seen them?” Fox asked after a moment had passed. “Their names are Paul Forrester and Scott Hayden.”

“That’s just a kid,” Rosco mused as he regarded one of the pictures. “What are they wanted for?” To the country sheriff, these, so called, federal fugitives, looked to be pretty harmless. He finally put his thoughts into words, much to the derision of Fox and Boss Hogg. “I don’t think they look all that dangerous.”

“That doesn’t matter what you think, numbskull,” Boss Hogg snapped. “If they are in Hazzard County, then it is your sworn duty to arrest them. Get Enos on the horn, get out there, and round ‘em up already.”

“Have you at least seen them, Mr. Hogg?” Fox eventually asked.

Boss Hogg shook his head.

“Have you, Sheriff?”

Rosco took another long look. “No, not yet anyway. Once I cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em, then it’ll be another story. Jit jit,” he said, his laughter once more filling Fox’s ears.

Instead of responding to the sheriff’s words, the agent quickly snatched the pictures out of Boss Hogg’s pudgy hand and turned to face his assistant. “Come on, Wylie, let's get going.” He shoved the photos into Wylie’s hands and started towards the door leading outside. “If you happen to get them into custody, Sheriff, then give me a call at the County Inn, we’ll be staying there until tomorrow afternoon.” He handed Rosco a card before returning to the chair to retrieve his jacket.

 _There’s no point to my staying around here,_ he thought disdainfully, _we should get back out on the road and see if we can find Forrester out there._ As he reached down to grab for his jacket, a loud ‘woof’ emerged. He looked down and saw a big brown hound dog sitting right on his jacket and the animal did not seem at all willing to move.

“Mr. Hogg, if you don't mind,” Fox yelled impatiently.

“Rosco, you igitt, get that flea-bag off of Mr. Fox’s jacket.” Boss Hogg yelled, this time his words were slurred by the turkey that he had stuffed in his mouth.

“Jit jit....” the sheriff began as he went over to the chair and started to move his dog to one side so as to free up Fox’s jacket. Once she had been moved, he laid her back in the chair. “Now isn’t that better, Flash honey?” He cooed while Fox snatched his jacket from off the chair.

He quickly shook it out before putting it on. As he was walking towards the door leading out of the room, he turned back to face Rosco. “Is this the only law enforcement office in the area?”

Rosco nodded.

“Pity, the whole town must be blithering idiots,” Fox muttered curtly before leaving the room.

Wylie nodded to Boss Hogg and then to Rosco before following Fox out of the room.

Boss Hogg and Rosco were left staring dumbly after Fox.

Once the two agents had made it outside, Fox finally spoke up. “This has to have been the wildest goose chase I have ever seen in 16 years. Can you believe those two? They make you look like a rocket scientist.”

Wylie looked at his boss wanting to object, but thinking better of it, he remained quiet.

“Let’s see if we can get back to Washington, Wylie. The chance of us catching up with Forrester out here is about as likely as Mr. Hogg winning a beauty contest,” Fox said as he opened the door of their tan sedan and got in. Wylie followed suit and within moments they had left the establishment in a puff of smoke.

Wylie finally spoke up. “Mr. Fox, shouldn’t we have left a number to the hotel where we could be reached with Mr. Hogg?”

“What for? He would probably have eaten it. Besides, do you honestly think that those morons could detain Forrester and the kid until we got there? They probably couldn’t lead a horse to water.”

Wylie made a face at his boss, sort of a half-smile, but refrained from doing so. He found the idea of Hogg eating everything in sight as a human vacuum cleaner to be quite humorous. He kept this observation to himself, but nodded in agreement.  
  
---  
  
“Back inside the ´ _Boar’s Nest_ ,” said the Balladeer. “Boss Hogg is still sitting at the table eating. He has already polished off a fourth of the turkey in 20 minutes, and didn’t seem ready to stop.”

Rosco stood watching as Flash stretched herself out on the chair with the intention of taking an extended nap. “So, what do we do now, Little Fat Buddy?” He asked, his eyes looking longingly at his brother-in-law’s turkey.

“Well, Knucklehead, I’m having my lunch. You need to get out there, find some reason to arrest the Duke boys or better yet, look for those fugitives. You know, Rosco, there may be some sort of re-ward from the government for the capture of those two felons. If you catch ‘em, then we could do an even 60 / 40 split.”

“Oh I get the 60 percent?”

“No, I get the 60, you get 40, unless you want 50 percent of 50 percent,” Boss Hogg said smugly.

“No, 40’ll be just fine, straight down the middle and hang a right,” Rosco said still laughing. “Ohh, I’ll get ‘em this time, Boss. I love it, I love it...”

“…Well, actions speak louder than words,” Boss Hogg interrupted. “Now, why don’t you get yourself and that mangy flea-bag out of my sight and see if you can actually do something right?”

“But, Boss, if they really are dangerous felons, then what do we do if we catch them?” Rosco asked.

“Well, you’re the sheriff,” Hogg bellowed. “Now, get goin’. Nobody calls J.D. Hogg an idiot and gets away with it.”

Rosco walked over to the chair, picked up the sleeping dog, who objected with loud ‘woofs’, and walked out of the room leaving Boss Hogg alone with his turkey.  
  
---  
  
“Back at the Duke farm, the rain had finally subsided and this gave the family a chance to get outside and survey the damage the rain shower could have done to their land. Paul and Scott were quite glad because they hoped that the Dukes could get them to the train station.”

“Hey guys!” Jesse shouted over the sounds of the ‘General Lee’s’ motor. The two men were hard at work on the car, while Scott watched curiously.

“We've got this major race next weekend,” explained Bo over the motor. “We’ve got to get the ‘General’ in tip-top condition before that.” He patted the hood of the car affectionately.

Scott nodded but turned his head as Jesse approached.

“Will you fellas turn that blasted thing off?” Jesse hollered over the ‘General’.

The motor abruptly went silent and Luke looked over at Jesse. “What is it, Uncle Jesse?”

“Cooter just called in on the horn. He said that the train station is out of commission for the next three to four days. He says the whole area is flooded out. There’s no trains going in or coming out.”

“What was that, Uncle Jesse?” Daisy asked as she approached the group.

“The rain shower has stopped, but the whole area is flooded. The train station is flooded as well,” repeated Jesse.

“What do we do now, Dad?” Scott asked.

“Well, you fellas can stay here,” Daisy offered. “Right, Uncle Jesse?”

“Well, like my grandpa used to say, we ain’t got much, but what we got, we gladly share,” he said as Bo leaned inside the ‘General Lee’ and flipped on the radio. “…The conductor hopes that maybe the train station will be opened again in four days or so. Unnecessary travel is not advisable...” He flipped off the radio.

Scott looked at Paul, “Dad?” His eyes were wide with fear.

Paul shook his head as he looked over at the family. “Maybe you can direct us to the closest highway.”

“Even if we could, I doubt it would help ya,” Jesse began. “Just getting to it would mean that you would have to swim.”

Scott shivered, “That means that Fox could be anywhere in town and just waiting to spring on us when we least expect it.”

“Fox, who is Fox?” Luke asked.

Scott looked at Paul, who had, by this time reached out and rested his hand on the teenager’s shoulder. Instinctively, he could feel the fear that encased the boy. After several minutes, he turned and faced his son without addressing Luke’s question. “Something tells me that we have to get out of here right away. Flood or no flood, I will not put you in danger.”

Jesse looked at the frightened teenager and then at Paul. “Now, hold up there, we have some questions and we’d really like some answers to before you fellas just take off.”

“I’m afraid that we can’t answer your questions, Mr. Duke,” Paul said. “There are some things that you are safer not knowing.”

“Maybe y’all can’t explain, but ya can’t just run away,” Daisy said. “Life is not about runnin’, it’s a bout hunkerin’ down and fighting when the time comes.”

“She’s right,” Luke said.

“For the most part, that’s true, but what we face is not that easy,” Paul said as he looked from the younger Dukes and eventually they stopped on the kind blue eyes of their uncle. “If we don’t run from this, we won’t have a life anymore,” Paul said softly. “I can’t explain any better than that, but George Fox is a dangerous man, and means to do us harm.”

“Look, before y’all decide to continue running, maybe we can at least help y’all get out of Hazzard County without getting caught by someone. Now, Cooter is probably the only one who can since he’s got the biggest wheels around.” Luke reached over to the CB radio and just as he was about to pick it up, it crackled to life.

“Enos, ya out there?” It was Rosco.

“Yes, Sheriff,” came the reply.

“Where are ya?”

“On Route 10, by the Bayou.” Enos said. “I’m headin’ back to town, Sheriff.”

“What are ya doing out there, you dipstick?” Rosco asked.

“I was just…” Enos began but his voice failed him as Daisy took a deep breath.

“Rosco’s so mean to him,” she complained.

“Hush,” Jesse said as they all leaned in to listen.

“Enos, there are two federal fugitives running loose who we gotta apprehend,” Rosco said as Paul and Scott’s faces both lost all their color.

“Fugitives, Sheriff?” Enos’ voice could be heard, but he said nothing else.

“Paul Forrester and Scott Hayden,” Rosco continued. “They're wanted for questioning by the Feds. We cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em; then we’ll be heroes not only in Hazzard, but in the whole US of A, jit jit... Rosco out.”

No one said a word after this; instead the entire Duke family were suddenly staring at Paul and Scott. “Care to explain?” asked Jesse.

Paul took a deep breath. “What is there for me to explain? There's a man in Washington who has been chasing me for the last 16 years.”

“Why?” Daisy asked softly.

“Because we’re different,” the teenager said hotly.

Paul looked at the family. “If you want us to go, we will.”

Daisy spoke up in their defense. “Wait, Uncle Jesse. If they are being harassed by some maniac in Washington, how different is that from the constant harassment and accusations we must endure from Rosco and Boss Hogg?”

“Because we are not dealing with county government here, Daisy, we’re dealing with the US of A government. That’s a way different story, and you know it,” Jesse said. Before he could say another word, Luke looked out across the pasture.

“Doesn’t seem to matter all that much anyway, because it looks like ol’ Enos isn’t as dumb as we reckoned him to be,” he said as the police cruiser barreled towards the house.

Paul and Scott said nothing; instead they backed away from the family and raced into the house to retrieve their belongings.

“I knew we should have left when the rain stopped,” Scott said fearfully. “It was stupid for us to think that we could hang around here till the flood waters subsided. We’ve gotta get out of here and away from the backwards law in this county.”

“I wouldn’t worry none about Enos,” Daisy said as she followed them into the house. “I can generally get him to see reason. He’s really a good friend.”

“I understand that,” Paul began, “but, we’re not prepared to take that risk, Daisy, we really should go.”

Daisy nodded but pulled some keys from the pocket of her shorts. “Take my car then,” she said. “You’ll find it parked in the barn, out back. It’s the yella colored one. Y’all can use it and I’ll try to hold Enos off by giving ya a head start.”

“Why are you doing this?” Paul asked.

“Let me put it this way, if ya had intended to do anything to hurt me, then you’d have done so back when we were stranded,” she said. “Keep the CB channel open, and if something happens, radio in. If ya call the ‘Shepherd’, ‘Lost Sheep’ or ‘Bo Peep’, then that’ll put ya in touch with one of us. Now, ya get yourselves out of here.”

Paul nodded and grabbed the duffle bag and they left the room.

Once they were gone, Daisy returned outside to see that Enos had pulled up in front of the house and was getting out of the car.

“Hey y’all.”

“What’cha want Enos?” Jesse asked.

“I don’t mean to intrude, but I seem to recall ya saying that y’all had a couple of guests staying here and I was wonderin’ if I might ask about them,” he said nervously. “This is official police business.”

As he was speaking, the sound of a car starting from the barn could be heard as Daisy’s small yellow car shot across the pasture towards the road leading out of town. Enos took a deep breath as he watched the car disappear between a crop of trees. “I reckon the sheriff was right,” he looked at Daisy, disappointment etched in his face as he regarded her. “You gave them your car.”

“I had to, Enos, there’s something that ya don’t understand. One of your suspects is a fourteen-year-old kid,” she said. “How would it be for a child to be put in your jail?”

“I don’t want to harm no child,” Enos objected, “but I got a job to do, and y’all are interferin’ in official business, and I could arrest every one of you for it.”

“Ya don’t understand,” Daisy said. “Enos please, you can’t do this.”

“Oh I understand alright, and I have to,” the deputy said, his expression no longer sad, but instead he looked disappointed, which was far worse than him being just sad. “Y’all have been pretendin’ all this time that you were my friends, but all of ya have been humoring me and treating me like a real ‘dipstick’. Maybe all that time that I have been protectin’ y’all, I should have woken up and smelled the coffee.”

He turned away from her and quickly got back in his car. Once he started the motor, he took off after Daisy’s old yellow car.

Daisy watched him drive away as she fought against the urge to cry. She would probably never forget Enos’ words as long as she lived, but she could also see the truth in everything he accused them of doing. They had spent a great deal of time playing him for the fool, and now that he was leaving, she could see just how much it had hurt him.

“Was it really such a good idea to risk all that on a couple of strangers?” Jesse turned and began to scold her. “You not only hurt Enos, but you know as well as I do, that a couple of city slickers will not be able to get away from him out here. Enos’ training with driving means that he can just about out-drive anyone in Hazzard County.”

“Uncle Jesse’s right,” Bo said. “When he was trainin’ for LA, he was all over the road. Something tells me that there is no way in the world that Paul could out-drive him.”

Instead of speaking, Daisy ran into the house, the door slamming behind her.  
  
---  
  
“Of course, ol’ Bo and Jesse were right on the money,” The Balladeer chimed in. “About a mile away from the Duke farm, Enos had managed to force Paul and Scott off the road.”

The patrol car was now blocking the road and Daisy’s yellow car was lodged in a ditch. To the deputy, the chase had been short, but it was a lot less painful than the words he had said to Daisy back at the farm. He regretted having said them, but he was so sick of being treated like a fool.

He nervously edged his way to the car, the gun in his hand, but it was trembling like crazy. He pulled the door open, his eyes meeting Paul’s as he motioned with the gun for them to get out of the car. “Alright, I’ve got y’all covered, get out of the car nice and slow like,” he instructed and Paul obliged. The policeman was several inches taller than he was, but it was not his stature that made Paul obey, it was the gun that Enos was holding, which spoke much louder than his words ever could.

As soon as Scott had managed to get out of the car, he took off running with the same energy as a wild boar. Enos was taken by surprise by this, but instead of taking after Scott, he grabbed the Starman’s arm and shook his head. “It’s not gonna work, Mister,” he said as the two of them watched Scott. Instead he grabbed the cuffs that were in his pocket and cuffed Paul. “Ya got the right to remain quiet…” he muttered, but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it.

Paul looked at the nervous policeman. “It’s alright, I already have it memorized,” he said softly, all the while watching as his son disappeared between a crop of trees. The teenager had done exactly as he had instructed him and he could only hope that the Dukes would still be willing to help them, what given the trouble they were in.

Enos raised his head and nodded; his eyes were filled with sadness as he escorted Paul to the patrol car and helped him into the backseat. Once he got behind the wheel, he took a deep breath and released it sadly. “Why did Daisy do this to me?”

“She didn’t do anything to you, she was just trying to help us,” Paul said with obvious defeat in his voice. “For what it’s worth, she was only helping us because we had helped her when she was stranded in the rain earlier today. I think she was just trying to return the favor.”

“You’re the strangers who helped her?” Enos asked.

“Yes,” Paul said. “She’s a nice lady, and a good friend.”

“I know that,” Enos said. “This may explain why she did it, but she’s known me for years and y’all only a day.”

Before Paul could respond, the CB buzzed to life and he could hear Rosco’s voice on the other end. “This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, Enos, you got your ears on?”

Enos picked up the CB. “Yes, Sheriff.”

“Any news about those fugitives?” Rosco asked.

“I have one in custody, Sheriff, the second got away from me, ran faster than a jackrabbit,” Enos said honestly.

“Ya let one escape?”

“Yes Sir,” Enos said softly.

“Enos, you dipstick!” Rosco shouted and Enos sighed. Before he could respond, Rosco continued. “Well, where are ya? Maybe I can go out and make the jackrabbit run, jit jit.”

“Just west of the Hazzard Swamp,” Enos lied. “I’m bringing the suspect back to the jail house and should be getting there in about ten or fifteen minutes. Enos out.” With that, he did something that he had not done in a very long time, he shut off his radio and covered his face with his hands. “I lied to him,” he whispered brokenly, “and I _never_ lie.”

“You told him where my son is,” Paul said.

“No,” he objected. “I just can’t let ‘em arrest a kid. The Hazzard Swamp is a good piece from here.” As soon as the words were out, he started to drive slowly back in the direction of the police station.

Paul sat in the backseat of the car, his eyes staring down at his cuffed hands. After several moments, he raised his head. “May I ask you a question, Mister Enos?”

“Sure, but it’s just Enos,” came the whispered response.

Paul nodded but took a deep breath. “What is a dipstick?”

Enos sighed. “It’s not a very nice thing to say to anyone. The Sheriff calls me this name all the time.”

“Why does he do that if it’s not nice?” Paul asked.

“I don’t reckon I’ll ever know,” Enos said.

“I’m sorry,” Paul responded. “He doesn’t sound like a very nice person.”

“Well, nice and the sheriff are rather contradictory,” he said. “Almost makes me sorry that I have to bring ya in like this. You’re probably a pretty decent fella.”

“You don’t seem that happy about having to do it,” Paul said. “Why?”

“I’m not happy, but I have to follow orders. Sheriff Coltrane is my superior officer,” Enos said and stopped the car. He turned around and looked at Paul. “You may not accept it or even understand it, but I have worked in this county for the last three years. I spent some of my time out in Los Angeles, and I came back here because of Daisy. While I was out there, I realized something about her that I probably should’ve known all along. But, today has basically shown me that she’d go and do everything she can for some pretty faced stranger who drifts into town. I’m only good enough when there is no one else to compete against.”

“You’re arresting me because you’re jealous?” Paul asked. “I’m not here to try and win over Daisy Duke, Enos. She’s a very nice lady, but I’m not in love with her. I am in love with Jenny Hayden. That’s Scott’s mother and she’s the one we’re trying to find. I’m not here to compete or win a girl that you’re obviously in love with.”

“Did I say I was in love with her?” Enos asked.

“You didn’t have to, one can tell just by looking at you,” he said. “You care very deeply for Daisy. The question is; have you ever tried to tell her about your feelings?”

“What do I have to offer a girl like her? I’m nothing but a two-bit deputy in a backwards county,” he whispered. “That ain’t enough.”

“Maybe it is,” Paul said. “You will never know how she feels until you stop trying to second guess her answers and just ask her if she could love you for who you are.”

“Why do you care?” Enos asked.

“Well, probably because I know how it feels to be separated from someone I love and to feel as though I didn’t say or do enough when I had the chance. You are not the only one who has loved and lost. I cannot help but think that if you haven’t even tried telling her how you felt, then you have done far more than just lose her, you could risk losing yourself. You seem so willing to admit defeat without having spoken honestly,” Paul said shaking his head. “I just cannot understand why two people who really do love each other seem so unwilling to find their way to one another.”

Enos took a deep breath. “You’re sure smart, Mister, maybe too smart. Why do the feds want you anyway?”

Paul looked into the eyes of the deputy. “It would take me too long to explain. I’m not a threat to you or anyone else, though. I just want to be a good father, help my son find his mother, and just have my family.”

Enos nodded. “Well, whatever you did, it must’ve been serious because the sheriff said that a man from Washington is here. I figure that once we get to the jailhouse, we’ll have to call him and tell him that you’re here.”

Paul lowered his head. “If that is the case, then I can only hope that my son’s fate will not match my own.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to do this, it’s my duty,” Enos said.

Paul nodded. “You know, my son, he’s a good boy, but now as things are what they are, I hope he’ll be okay. Sometimes he can get into trouble.”

“Like father, like son,” Enos said smiling.

Paul said nothing he simply nodded and forced himself to return the gesture.  
  
---  
  
It was nearly dark by the time Scott made it back to the Duke farm. Although his father’s arrest had happened over an hour ago, the teenager was still in a panic. As he reached the house, he knocked loudly on the door, his body collapsing against the doorframe. When it swung open, he looked up to see that Jesse was standing in the doorway.

“Scott?” the older man asked. “What happened?”

“It’s my dad, that policeman got him about a mile from here,” Scott managed to speak. “He outmaneuvered us out on the road and we ended up crashing into a ditch. The cop told us to get out of the car and when I did, my adrenaline took over and I just ran back here as fast as I could. I didn’t know where else to go, Mr. Duke.”

“It’s gonna be alright, just come in the house and try and catch your breath,” Jesse said. “I think we should have a talk with the boys. Maybe between the four of us, we can figure out a way to help you get your daddy out. Right now, you need to tell us everything about your dad that you can,” Jesse said.

“Okay, but Mr. Duke, you’ll probably won’t believe a single word of it,” Scott said as he touched the sphere that rested in his pocket.

“Just let us be the judge of that,” he said. “Now, get yourself inside and catch your breath a little. I’ll make us up a pot of coffee and we can have ourselves a little talk.”

Scott nodded and stepped into the living room. As he came inside, he noticed that Daisy was sitting on the sofa, her shoulders were slumped and her head lowered. “Hey Daisy,” he said as he came over and looked down at her. “You okay?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure,” she said, but looked up at him. “Scott, you shouldn’t be here, you and your daddy should be on your way into the next county.”

“If only,” he began. “Your friend stopped us about a mile away from here. That guy drives like a maniac. Is that the norm around here?”

“Typical Hazzard County,” Daisy said bravely, but nodded. “Maniac driving is something that every kid around these parts can do.”

“Lovely,” Scott mused as he looked at Jesse. “What should we do, Mr. Duke?”

“Well, it would seem to me that nothing is goin’ to get done until tomorrow now that it’s dark. If your pursuers have your daddy, then chances are they won’t be taking him out of here till tomorrow sometime.”

Daisy looked at her uncle. “Uncle Jesse, I don’t want Enos implicated in whatever it is we plan to do,” she said. “If we have to break Paul out of there, I don’t want him to be the one they blame for it. Enos goes through enough with Boss and Rosco going around calling him a ‘dipstick’.”

Bo and Luke came in the room and heard Daisy’s last statement. “We’ll do what we can to keep him out of the line of fire, Daisy, but we will have to instigate Cooter’s help in the breakout since he’s got the most workable wheels around.”

As if on cue, the CB crackled to life. “Breaker one, breaker one, I might be crazy but I ain't dumb...crrrrazy Cooter comin’ at’cha. Any ya Dukes ‘round the Hazzard Nest, come on?”

Luke snatched the handlink and spoke, “Yeah Cooter, Luke here, what’s up?”

“I’m in your neighborhood, can I stop in for some of Uncle Jesse’s soup? It’s really wet out here, and ma innards are in need of somethin’ hot,” Cooter said.

Jesse nodded. “Tell him that I’m right on it, but I’m not his Uncle Jesse.”

“Yeah, come on in Cooter.” He did a ‘thumbs up’ sign and replaced the CB.

Moments later, Cooter’s truck barreled up the driveway and was splashing mud all around as it approached the front of the house and stopped. After it stopped, he got out and came inside. As he saw the family in the living room with Scott, he held up his hands in negation. “Hey, I didn’t know y’all had company. I can always come back later.”

“No, no, no, Cooter, please stay,” Jesse offered. “I just warmed up the soup, but we’re going to need your help with somethin’ else. It seems the sheriff has sent Enos out here to arrest Scott’s daddy without any sort of justification or provocation.”

“What else is new ‘round these here parts?” Cooter asked as he winked at Scott. “That’s normal procedure, I’m afraid, but son, don’t ya worry none, we’re good at bustin’ folks out of the pokey.” He sat down on the sofa and draped his arms across the back of it. “So, y’all tell me what’s going on, and what I gotta do.” Bo nodded and began to explain what had happened. After about five minutes, he looked at them, a mischievous grin plastered clear across his face. “I’m so loving this, cat and mouse game with Rosco and Enos.”

“What is ‘cat and mouse’?” Scott asked. “I mean; is it dangerous?”

“It's a chase,” said Cooter. “The only dangerous part is if ya get caught while doin’ it. Course, we ain’t never got caught yet.”

“We need to know what Paul and Scott are wanted for,” Bo said.

“Yeah, I agree,” Jesse said. “So, young feller, what’s the scoop?”

“My dad wouldn’t hurt anyone, but Fox doesn’t believe it,” Scott pulled the sphere from his pocket and looked down at it.

“What’s that?” Daisy asked.

“It’s how my dad fixed your truck earlier today,” Scott said.

“Now, son, you can’t fix a car with a marble, you should know that,” Cooter said. “I know all there is to know ‘bout cars and that’s just not possible.”

“It’s not a marble, it’s called a sphere, and my dad carries one as well,” Scott tried to explain. “We can sort of do stuff with it that some might call ‘weird’ or ‘magic’, but it’s not. It’s just something that people from the place where he comes from can do. I can do only a little bit, but I don’t trust myself enough to show you. Once I tried and ended up with lights shining over a lake, and we ended up getting in trouble. My dad had to rise to the occasion and do something astounding so that we could get away.”

“You’re not really that good at explainin’ things, Scott, but it sure sounds to me like you’re trying to say that you and your daddy aren’t from around here,” Jesse said. As if to emphasize his point, he pointed skyward and cocked his head to one side.

“He’s really my dad, and I love him,” the teenager said. “He’s not from around here, that’s why he doesn’t always understand stuff. I grew up in Seattle, my foster parents were killed just before my dad came back. I have been sent to live in an orphanage there,” Scott explained. “Then everything got turned upside down in my life and I ended up on the road with him. It took me a long time to actually get used to having him around or even calling him ‘Dad’.” He looked at Jesse and then to Bo and Luke, and finally to Daisy and Cooter. They all five carried looks of disbelief on their faces. “Look, I know you probably don’t believe a word I’m saying, but if Fox gets hold of us, then we could die. My dad’s all I got and I’m scared. If I have to bust him out of there then I have no choice. I have to help him.”

“And risk gettin’ caught yourself,” Jesse said with a shake of his head.

“That doesn’t matter,” Scott said. “I’ve got no life without my Dad anyway.”

“What would happen if they caught ya?” Daisy asked. She was still not sure if Scott was telling the truth, but she could tell that he was terrified and figured that he meant everything he was saying.

“Something pretty bad,” Scott said. “The last time we got caught, they took us to this place called ‘Building 11’, where they study UFOs and stuff. When I woke up in this place, I was locked inside a glass coffin. I could feel all these diodes on my body, and needles being poked into my skin…” His voice trailed and he looked at Jesse. “…I’m telling you the truth, Mr. Duke. That’s why Fox won’t tell anyone about why they want us. Fox goes around trying to make us out to be like the aliens in those scary movies, but we’re not. He came back here to help me because I was alone and afraid.”

“Listen,” the older man said. “Scott, I want you go bunk down in the boys’ room and get some shut eye. The rest of you stick around, we’re gonna make some plans. No matter what it is you’re in trouble for, we’re gonna help you out.”

“You don’t believe me?” Scott whispered. “None of you believe me.”

“It’s not a question of whether or not I believe you, it’s a question of you believing in yourself,” Jesse said. “Now scoot.”

Once Scott had reluctantly left, Cooter looked at Jesse. “What do ya think?” He asked.

“I don’t buy it,” Luke said. “But, still that kid needs help.”

“What kind of help?” Bo asked smirking.

“Now, you two hush, that boy’s daddy is in a lot of trouble, and we gotta help them out,” Jesse said. “They ain’t here for us to judge them, so we just do what we can for them as we’ve done for others in the past.”

“Of course, ya know that the others are gonna agree to that,” the balladeer said. “So after making their plans, Cooter left and the other Dukes turned in.”  
  
---  
  
“Meanwhile, back at the Hazzard County jail, Paul was left sitting in a cell with a tired deputy keeping watch over him. Unlike the other times when he had been arrested, no one had forced him to empty his pockets. In fact, Enos seemed to have a lot more on his mind than police procedure. This meant that Paul still had the sphere in his possession and he was waiting for an opportunity to use it, in order to break out.”

As news reached Boss Hogg that Paul Forrester was in the holding cell, he made a stop by the police station on his way home. As the heavy set man in white came down the stairs and entered the cell block, a broad smirk spread across his face when he recognized that Paul had, indeed, been captured. He began to chuckle as he rubbed his pudgy hands together and regarded the man behind the iron bars.

“Well, well, well, it’s hard to believe that Rosco’s dipstick deputy actually managed to catch you,” he said, all the while ignoring the fact that Enos was still present. “Of course, the last thing I heard, Rosco reported in saying that he was out at the Hazzard Swamp lookin’ for your boy,” he said as he puffed on his cigar. Satisfaction seemed to be written all over his face, as his beady eyes stared into Paul’s face. “Now I wonder how many semolians you could be worth,” he mused. “It would seem that any hardened criminal would have a re-ward hangin’ over his head, don’t you Enos?”

As he spoke, Enos lowered his head not offering any information about Scott’s precise location. If truth were known, he felt positively sickened by the way Boss Hogg was talking. He cast a helpless glance towards Paul, but remained silent as Hogg continued speaking.

“Enos, I asked you a question,” Hogg said impatiently.

“I don’t know, Mr. Hogg,” the deputy eventually mumbled.

Boss Hogg continued to chuckle as he looked at Enos. “Enos, you are to watch this prisoner until morning when Rosco is due to come in. Hopefully, he will have the boy in custody and we can call Fox. If anything happens to this fella between now and then, it will be your hide.”

“Yes Sir,” Enos whispered dejectedly, but remained unmoving in the chair in front of the cell.

Just before Boss Hogg was about to leave, Paul raised his head. “He’s not a dipstick,” he said, thus causing the County Commissioner to turn around.

“We’ll see,” he grunted and left.

As soon as he was gone, Paul released a sigh of relief as he wafted his hand over his face. The cigar smoke that seemed to surround Hogg burnt his eyes. After some moments, he looked at Enos and could tell that the deputy was stuck in a difficult situation. If Paul were to escape while Enos was on duty, the kindhearted deputy would be in trouble, but if he stayed, Fox would be there by mid-morning and his fate would be decided. “Enos,” he eventually spoke and the deputy raised his head. “Does he really believe that Fox is going to give him money for turning me and my son over to the FSA?”

“Yes,” Enos responded with a slow nod. “To Mr. Hogg, everything can be bought and sold like livestock. That includes people.”

“Even you?” Paul whispered.

Enos lowered his head as shame washed over him. “I don’t agree with him, if that’s what you’re implyin’, but what choice have I got?”

“It sounds like you don’t have much of a choice at all,” Paul said sympathetically as the deputy raised his head. “It would seem to me that you’re about as much as prisoner in all of this as I am.”

“Maybe I am,” he said softly as his gaze came to rest on the checker board that was folded on the table. “If ya want, we can play a couple of games, it might help us pass the time and get our minds off our troubles.”

“Okay, but you’ll have to show me how, I’ve never played this game before,” Paul said as Enos folded out the board and began to set up the playing pieces. As Paul watched him, he could not help but notice that the deputy was obviously worried. “You’re still thinking about Daisy, aren’t you?” He eventually asked.

Enos raised his head from the task and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. I’ve known her since we was kids and my daddy and their uncle were doin’ moonshine runs together. When you grow up around these parts, you get to know just about every family in the area through that.”

“Moonshine?” Paul asked confused.

“Some call it home brewed alcohol, it’s illegal, but just about everyone here knows about it or has a history with it,” Enos explained. “My family and hers go back several generations actually.”

“You don’t think she would turn away from that sort of history, do you?” Paul asked as Enos finished setting up the pieces.

“I don’t know,” he said shaking his head regretfully. “Let’s just play; I don’t want to talk about this no more.” With that, he quickly began to explain the rules of the game to Paul and they started playing.

“Once Paul caught the gist of the game, they played round after round, at first Enos was winning, but then Paul started to win and after the fourth or fifth game, Paul started to notice that the deputy was missing some pretty basic moves because of his contemplations,” the Balladeer said.

After some time, he reached into his pocket and touched the sphere. He could use it to escape once Enos was asleep, but for some reason, he could not bring himself to go through with it. Enos had been assigned guard duty, and Paul’s escape could cost this kind man everything. The Starman shook his head and dismissed his sphere. He had to find a way to get out of there without it costing Enos his job, dignity, or self respect.

After several hours of playing checkers and talking, Paul noticed that Enos was looking tired and soon the deputy’s eyes closed and he fell into a restless slumber.

Paul went over and stretched out on the cot and closed his eyes as well.  
  
---  
  
When Paul opened them again, he noticed that the daylight from outside was now shining into the cell.

It was now morning, and the sounds from the town square were drifting in through the small cell window. He could tell that Enos was still asleep, the deputy’s body hunched over the table and the checker pieces scattered across the floor.

Paul got to his feet and went over to the bars that separated him from Enos. He looked down at Enos, all the while uncertain as to how to get out of there without it implicating either of them. The radio message that Enos had sent to Rosco the night before was still on his mind. In fact, Enos had lied for Scott, something that he had never done. Paul could tell that this tore at the conscience of the policeman.

At the same time, he also knew that the sheriff was still afoot. Where specifically he or Boss Hogg were, remained an uncomfortable mystery.

Paul pulled the silver sphere from his pocket and casting one last glance towards Enos, he focused his attention on it. Before he could actually do anything, he could hear someone coming down the stairs. He returned the sphere to his pocket and stuck his hand between the bars in order to touch Enos’ shoulder. “Wake up, Enos, someone’s coming.”

Enos groggily opened his eyes and looked at Paul. “What happened?”

“You fell asleep,” Paul said as a tall, lanky man came into the cellblock.

As the Starman took in the new arrival’s attributes, there was no question; this man was definitely from the country. He was dressed in a blue colored uniform similar to that, which his deputy was wearing. In his arms, he carried a large basset hound.

“Well, just lookee here at what the kitty cat done gone and dragged in, jit, jit…” the man said as he came closer to Paul, his eyes narrowing. It seemed as though he was trying to determine just how dangerous this prisoner was.

Paul could not fully understand what this man meant, but he could only guess that he was now in the presence of Sheriff Rosco. This was the man that the Duke family had warned him to steer clear of. Now, seeing the look in the sheriff’s eyes, he could understand why it was he had been warned.

“Enos, you’d better go and make yourself more presentable, ya look none too good and the government fella is gonna be here in ‘bout ten minutes,” Rosco instructed as he took in the haggard appearance of his deputy. He gently put his dog on the floor near the cell. “It would be no good if they came and thought that we don’t keep a clean stationhouse here.”

“Yes Sir,” the deputy said as he got to his feet and started towards the stairs. “Sheriff, would it be okay for me to go off duty for a spell? I need to get home and catch me some shut-eye. I’ve been on call since last night, and I’m plumb worn out.”

“Yeah, sure Enos, whatever,” he said. Rosco would never have admitted it, but he was pleased as punch that Enos had decided to leave. With him out of the way, he could make it look as though he had captured Paul. He stood for several moments but eventually raised his head and looked at Paul. “You sure don’t look dangerous,” he muttered as Paul looked at him somewhat bewildered.

“It’s because I’m not,” he responded.

“Oh really? Well, that fella from Washington didn’t seem to think so. He said I was doin’ a service to my country by bringing you in, jit jit…” he chuckled the sounds of his obscure laughter making Paul arch an eyebrow.

Instead of focusing on the sheriff, Paul watched as Enos went up the stairs. Sighing, he could instinctively tell that this was getting harder and harder. If Rosco was right about Fox being on his way over, then he needed to stop thinking about Enos’ situation and start concentrating on his own fate. Frantically, he started to look around for an escape route, but Rosco seeing this looked at him, his chuckling growing louder.

“You can’t get out of my jail, it’s as solid as this here county,” Rosco said as he held up a fist and began to shake it. “With your capture, I could become the most famous peace officer in the country.”

Paul looked at the sheriff. “Why? You didn’t catch me, your deputy did.”

“Well, that dipstick ain’t here no more, he’s gone home,” Rosco said smugly. “Everyone’s gonna think it was me and I’ll just let ‘em do it.” He continued to laugh and Paul sighed.

This was more hopeless than he could imagine. Rosco was convinced that Fox was going to give him some sort of reward for his capture, but Paul had been on the run long enough to know that Fox would not do anything of the sort. In fact, he was about as short on praise as this sheriff appeared to be. Paul decided that it was now the time to try and play the slick angle with Rosco.

“You think George Fox is really going to give you some sort of reward for turning me over to him?” Paul asked casually.

“Well, sure, it’s professional courtesy,” Rosco said. “From one lawman to another.”

Paul shook his head. “He won’t, he’ll probably say ‘thank you’ and we’ll leave Hazzard County without so much as another word. You’re not going to get any sort of acknowledgement from Fox, Sheriff. I know him, and I know that he’s paranoid. He thinks I’m an alien from space.”

“You’re joshin’?” Rosco said his eyes now as wide as saucers.

“No,” Paul said matter-of-factly. “He thinks that I can make lights in the sky and do magic tricks with a marble. He’s going around from place to place telling people he works for the government and that I’m wanted, but he’s not telling anyone the reason why. Isn’t that a bit peculiar?”

Rosco’s snickering and grin suddenly disappeared from his face as he looked at Paul. “Ya could be an alien, ya sure are different.”

“I’m a photographer from Chicago. I suppose to you I might be, but I’m not all that different from you. I have a son who I care very deeply for and that is no different than the family loyalty that you have here in this town,” Paul said.

“What are ya doing in Hazzard County then?” Rosco asked.

“My son and I were on our way to Atlanta,” Paul said honestly. “I was told there was some freelance work for me to do out there and we happened to find ourselves out here stuck in the storm.”

“I don’t believe one single word,” Rosco said. “Whatever ya are, you’re a criminal who should be incarcerated.” His smile and laughter returned and Paul sighed.

 _I guess I’m not as slick as I thought_ , the Starman thought as he sat down in the corner of the cell and watched as Rosco took the seat that Enos had vacated. The sheriff’s eyes staring at Paul as though the alien had the power to jump through iron bars.

“If the Dukes were gonna help Paul out of there, they’d better be movin’ fast,” the Balladeer said. “Ol’ Boss Hogg had done called George Fox, and it was just a matter of time.”  
  
---  
  
As Enos came slowly up the stairs, he took a deep breath, all the while grateful to Paul for waking him when he did. If Rosco had come down and seen him sitting in front of the cell asleep then he would have caught all kinds of grief for it. He reached the landing as the doors swung open and Bo and Luke Duke came storming inside.

“Hey Enos, we’ve come to pay that fella a visit,” Luke said.

“Yeah, and Daisy asked me this mornin’ to bring ya this,” Bo added as he pulled an envelope from his jeans pocket and handed it to the deputy. The envelope was crumpled from having sat in Bo’s pocket, but that did not matter to Enos. He could see that his name was etched across it in her neat handwriting. “Daisy wanted us to tell ya that she felt real bad about trickin’ you yesterday. She didn’t want to hurt your feelings, and we didn’t either.”

“Oh shucks, fellas, I should be used to it, y’all are always trickin’ me in one way or ‘nother,” Enos said defeated.

“That’s not true, Enos,” Luke said.

“Ain’t it?” Enos asked as he looked at Luke, his words soft, but his expression neither angry nor accusing. Instead, he just looked hurt. “If you’re not teasin’ me for likin’ Daisy, you’re snookerin’ me when I have to do my duty.” He stuck the letter in the breast pocket of his shirt and started towards the door.

“Where are ya goin’?” Bo asked.

“Home, I need to catch me some shut-eye, before this afternoon when I have to go back on duty,” Enos said. “Thanks for bringin’ the letter, fellas. I’ll see y’all around.” Smiling weakly at the two Duke boys, he left.

Once they were alone, Bo and Luke exchanged concerned glances. “That ain’t like Enos at all,” Luke said. “He usually takes us with a grain of salt. But, that is not the fella we know. He seems so lost, the poor guy.”

“Yeah, but at least he’s out of the way so that we can help Paul,” Bo said. “I think when we get outta here; we should have a talk with Uncle Jesse about him. Maybe he can talk to Enos and help him out a bit. He is our friend, even if he don’t think so at the moment.”

Luke nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but let’s get down to that cell, I got a sinkin’ feeling that time is of the essence.”

“Have you decided how we’re gonna get the key to the cell away from Rosco,” Bo asked. “Y’know that he is on to just about every trick we have.”

“We’ll just have to wing it,” Luke said as they came down the stairs. “Hey Rosco what’s shakin’ buddy?”

“I ain’t your buddy,” Rosco quickly turned and regarded the two boys through hostile eyes. “What are y’all doin’ here?”

“Daisy said that she met this fella out at the _Boar’s Nest_ and that he had an unpaid tab,” Bo hedged. “We just came to collect on it, right Luke?”

“Yeah, ya know that Boss Hogg would have our cousin’s head on a plate if he had gotten taken for so much as a cent,” Luke responded with a sly grin.

“If that’s true, then do your business and no funny stuff,” Rosco said as he looked at Paul. “So it would seem that you’re in deep trouble if ya stole from Boss Hogg. Let’s see, what else could I get ya on? Aggravated robbery perhaps? That would sound good, jit jit...”

“For a watered down beer?” Bo asked. “Come on, Rosco, you’re gonna have to do better than that.” As he spoke, he turned to face the sheriff and at the same time, draped his arm casually around Rosco’s shoulder. “Ya gotta make it more believable, how about, kidnapping or grand theft auto?” As he spoke, he began to reach for the key ring that was hanging near the cell, but out of Paul’s reach.

“Bo figured that if he could sweet talk the sheriff into thinkin’ that they were on his side, he would lower his guard. Unfortunately, the sheriff knew that trick, too,” the Balladeer said.

“You’re not foolin’ me Bo Duke,” Rosco backed away from him, grabbed the keys, walked through the gate, and started back up the stairs. “That prisoner ain’t goin’ nowhere. Flash, you’ve got guard duty!”

Luke walked over to the sheriff and watched as he fingered the keys. “Oh come on Rosco, we’re not trying to do anything like that, we don’t even know this guy.”

“I don’t buy that,” Rosco said shaking his head. “I happen to think that the whole family is involved in this somehow. Just call it a sixth sense and once I figure it out, I’ll cuff ya and stuff ya, jit jit…” he laughed. “Now ya best get outta here or else you’re gonna be joining him in that cell.”

Luke nodded, but turned to Paul as Rosco and Bo made their way back up the stairs. “Look, we’re gonna try and get the keys from him so we can bust ya out. Just hang tight.”

Paul shook his head. “I don’t need a key, Luke. I just need you to keep him distracted.”

“Well, the key is the only way you’ll get outta here,” Luke said. “What makes ya so sure that you’re gonna be able to spring yourself from here without it?”

Paul pulled the sphere from his pocket and held it between his thumb and forefinger. “I can use this,” he said.

“Scott said you had one, but that’s just a marble,” Luke objected.

“No, it’s not just a marble, Luke. If Scott said what I think he said, then he was telling you the truth,” Paul said. As these words emerged, he returned his attention to the object in his hand and soon the cell was filled with blue light. Luke’s eyes widened as he watched the latch on the door fall away.

“Holy mackerel,” Luke muttered as Paul pulled the door open. As he came out, Flash went in and made herself comfortable on the bed. “Scott really was tellin’ the truth last night. You really are somethin’ from outer space?”

Paul nodded as the light disappeared and he returned the sphere to his pocket. “I’ll explain later, right now, we have to get out of here.”

“Yeah, and ‘ol Rosco’s gonna be a tad bit surprised when he gets back down here and sees his police dawg behind bars,” Luke snickered as they raced up the stairs and out the front door.

As they were leaving, Rosco and Bo could still be heard arguing in the office, their voices drifting out and filling both Paul and Luke’s ears.

“It would seem as though neither Bo nor Rosco were even aware that the escape had been made. Bo could not do anything except try futilely to wrangle the keys out of Rosco’s hands,” the Balladeer said.

Five minutes after Luke had smuggled Paul out of the station, the front door abruptly opened and George Fox came in with Wylie on his tail.

“Sheriff, here we are. Now, you said you had Forrester,” Fox said as a greeting, but his stance made it perfectly clear that the government agent would believe it when he would see it.

“Yeah, I got ‘im locked up downstairs,” Rosco said cunningly. “He’s locked up tighter than a fish in a sardine factory, jit jit.”

“Oh come on Rosco, ya shouldn’t make jokes at someone else’s expense like that,” Bo said as he looked at Fox. _So, this is the guy who’s after Paul and Scott. Looks very intense,_ he smirked, _a stress fest just waitin’ to happen._

“You just hush,” the sheriff snapped as he led Fox out of the office and in the direction of the stairs that led down into the cell block. “Right this way, Mr. Fox,” he said as he motioned down the stairs. For a moment, he watched as the agent and Wylie descended the staircase.

As George Fox reached the landing, he spoke, his loud voice bringing both Rosco and Bo hastily down the stairs. “What is the meaning of this, Sheriff?”

Standing at the base of the stairs, Bo caught a glimpse into the cell and gasped when he saw Flash curled up asleep on the bed. He began to snicker under his breath, but when Fox looked at him, he turned around, raced back up the stairs, and out the door.

Once outside, he noticed that Luke and Paul were already in the cab of Cooter’s truck and waiting for him. “Come on, Bo,” Luke called out from across the street and waited for his cousin to run towards them and dive in the cab. As he sat up, they could both see a large smirk covering his face.

“Rosco and Fox just found out that Paul flew the coop and left a lazy hound dog in his place,” Bo laughed. Gone was the question as to how it happened, the younger of the Duke boys was just glad to be out of there. “Ya better floor it, Cooter.”

The Hazzard mechanic didn’t have to be told twice, he pressed the gas pedal to the floor and they drove away in a cloud of dust. As the squeal of their tires pierced the air, Rosco and Fox were coming back outside. Wylie was right behind them, but none of them spoke for several minutes.

“You said you had Forrester, Sheriff,” Fox was saying, his arms crossed over his chest and he regarded him angrily. “But all you got is a mangy mongrel.”

“I did, Mr. Fox, but don’t you dare put down this fine specimen of a police dawg. She comes highly recommended,” Rosco said as he kept his arms wrapped protectively around Flash. “I happen to know that Bo Duke distracted me. He and Luke are probably the ones behind your prisoner escapin’.”

“Where are they?” Fox demanded. “Where did they go?”

“The Duke farm, I reckon,” Rosco said as he walked down the steps and got into his patrol car before grabbing the handlink for his CB. “This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, Enos ya got your ears on?” No answer. “Enos? Ya dipstick, where are you?”

Fox came over to the car and looked at Rosco as he fiddled with the radio. “Sheriff, just give me directions out to this Duke farm and Wylie and I will go and apprehend the fugitives ourselves?”

Rosco looked at the man and took a deep breath. “Just be patient,” he grumbled. “Enos!” he shouted into the radio, but still no answer emerged. At that moment, he suddenly remembered that he had sent Enos home for some shut eye. The sheriff knew that if there was going to be any apprehending, then he would be the one doing it.

“I’ll lead ya out there,” he said. “Let me get Flash buckled in, and then we’ll be in hot pursuit!”

“As y’all know,” the Balladeer spoke. “Rosco had no intention of helping Fox get out to the Duke farm. Instead, he intended on losing the government man along the way, which actually worked far better than even he could have anticipated. Rosco wanted the glory as well as the credit for the arrest, and was not willin’ to share that with anyone, not even an agent out of Washington. Yes, friends, all that time suckin’ up to and swindlin’ with Boss Hogg was finally starting to pay off.” He paused. “Now, once Fox had been left in the dust by Rosco, the two agents decided that they could do nothing else except return to town and wait for the sheriff to come back and inform them of what had happened.”

“When I get my hands on that hillbilly sheriff, he will not know what hit him,” Fox grunted several minutes after being left behind by Rosco. He rammed his hand against the steering wheel. “It’s obvious that the people around here can do two things; drive like lunatics and hallucinate about catching Forrester.”

“Then why are we going back into town?” Wylie asked.

“Wylie, aside from our hotel being back in town, I want to give that bumbling sheriff and his overweight cohort a piece of my mind,” Fox groused. “Right now, there is very little point to us keeping with this chase. If Forrester escaped from his jail, then chances are they’re probably halfway to the state line by now.”

“Then we should go in the direction of the next county and not drive back to Hazzard,” Wylie said, but this drew no answer from his boss.

As the two agents were returning to the town square, Fox stopped the car and turned to look at his associate. “Wylie, where did you say you were from again?” he asked.

“Out west, Sir, you know that, it was in my application for the agency,” Wylie responded.

“Of course,” Fox offered, but shrugged his shoulders. _Oh well, there goes that theory up in smoke,_ he thought. _I figured that the Wylies of the world could actually have come from Hazzard County seeing as I seemed to have had my fill of them today._  
  
---  
  
Cooter dropped Paul, Bo, and Luke off at the Duke farm about an hour after their escape. Daisy came outside as they were getting out of the car.

“It was smart of you fellas to stay out of the vicinity for a spell. Uncle Jesse managed to stash Scott away while I took care of Rosco,” she reported. “He showed up here about half an hour ago madder than a sore tailed bear because his prisoner had escaped. He was goin’ on about how he, himself, had arrested Paul, but it wasn’t him at all, it was Enos.”

“What else did Rosco say?” Bo asked.

“Not a lot, but I think it was probably because he didn’t have all that much to say about what happened. My guess is that it was kind of embarrassin’ for him. He really had no idea how it could’ve even happened, but he seems convinced that you fellas were involved.”

“Of course, story of our lives,” Luke muttered sarcastically. “Did he say anything else?”

“Well, he was babblin’ about some nosy government know-it-all just drivin’ him nuttier than you fellas normally do,” Daisy said laughing lightly. “He was goin’ on about how this Fox character was having a fit because Flash decided to take a snooze in his jail.”

Bo laughed heartedly upon hearing this. “Well, it serves him right, the way he was acting one would think that Paul was involved in espionage with the Russians or something.”

“What about Enos?” Daisy asked.

“Not much to say,” Bo said. “Paul and Luke managed to get out of there without getting Enos involved. In fact, he had already left the station when we came in so he didn’t get implicated in any of this. I will say that from the looks of things, poor Enos must have been up all night. He looked pretty out of sorts.”

“Yes,” Paul nodded. “I was relieved when he fell asleep at about three this morning. I realized that throughout the night he was willing himself to stay awake. I could tell that he was exhausted, but he probably wasn’t sleeping because he was worried.”

“Worried?” Daisy asked weakly.

“Yes, I think he felt badly for having gotten angry with you,” Paul responded softly. “He was pretty preoccupied when we spoke and I got the impression that he is torn between his duty and what is in his heart.”

Instead of responding to these words, Daisy looked at her cousin. “You said he had left the station, right?”

“Yeah, he said he was goin’ home to get some rest. I think we’re right in worryin’ about him, but I don’t really have any idea of what we can do,” Luke said. “What I might suggest is that you drive with Cooter back into town. From there, you can see if you can find out where he is and try to square things up with him? He said he was goin’ back on duty this afternoon sometime, so by the time you get there, he may already be back at the police station.”

Daisy nodded as she climbed into the cab of Cooter’s truck as Scott was coming outside. Once they drove off in a cloud of dust, Bo looked at his cousin. “You know we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said once Scott had joined them. “We’re gonna have to take y’all somewhere else till the heat wears off. I doubt ol’ Rosco will wanna give up after just one stop out here.”

“Well, whatever the case, I’ve got all our things inside,” Scott said as he hugged his father. “I’m glad you’re alright, Dad, I was really scared back there.”

“I know,” Paul said smiling. “If you hadn’t have run away, no one here would have known that we had been caught. You did the right thing coming back here.”

Bo looked at Scott. “Why don’t you go get your stuff?”

The teenager nodded. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the house and came back out several minutes later with two duffle bags and Paul’s camera bag hanging from his shoulder. “I do have a question, though. Why did it take so long for you to get out of there?”

“I wanted to wait until Enos was gone before I managed to get out. He seemed to be watching me like a hawk, but he also seemed a bit sidetracked as well. I finally had to use the sphere to break out, but Luke was there and now I’ve got some explaining to do.”

Luke eventually looked at Paul. “Ya probably should, but that’ll have to wait until later. I won’t be tellin’ no one about what I saw you do back there, they wouldn’t believe me.”

“I do want to explain, Luke,” Paul said.

The dark headed man nodded. “Fine, but we gotta make tracks before ol’ Rosco decides to come back here and stir things up,” he paused. “Let’s get goin’.”

“Good idea, Cuz,” Bo said.

“Do you think the ‘General’ can manage it?” Jesse asked as he came out of the house and joined them next to the car. “It’s still flooded pretty bad out there.”

“Do fish swim?” Bo asked coyly. “Besides, it should be a piece of cake as long as we stay clear of the flooded areas like Route 8. We’ll have to take y’all through the scenic route, but I’m sure that that’s better than the alternative.”

They went over to the brightly decorated car. “Ok, boys, y’all climb on in,” Luke said.

Paul reached for the door handle but Bo shook his head. “No, ya gotta get in like this,” he demonstrated by climbing into the driver’s seat through the window.

“Cool!” Scott exclaimed, “this is like in a racing car.” Without thinking twice, he tossed the bags in the backseat and managed to climb into the car. “Come on, Dad, climb in.”

Paul nodded as he tried one leg, then the other and managed to squeeze his way into the car. “I think I prefer cars with doors,” he said as Luke climbed into the passenger seat.

“OK, y’all hold on now,” Luke said as Bo started the car and gunned the motor.

“Come on, Bo, enough showin’ off, we gotta get out of here before Rosco shows up.”

Bo nodded and they drove away from the house. “We’re gonna take ya to the Hazzard Swamp and lay low for a spell. Once Cooter and Daisy let us know the heat’s off, we’ll try and get y’all out of the county later tonight.”

Paul nodded and Scott nudged him. “Daisy was right about one thing, everyone around here drives like maniacs!”  
  
---  
  
“At the same time, Cooter and Daisy had reached the town square and he was dropping her off in front of the police station,” the Balladeer said.

She started to get out of the truck. “Hey, good luck with Enos. When you’re ready to roll, just meet me over at the garage,” he said. “I got some work to take care of, but it shouldn’t take me more than an hour.”

Daisy nodded. “Thanks Cooter.” She walked towards the door leading into the station and swallowed. The place looked pretty quiet and she could see that both patrol cars were parked in front of the building.

 _That didn’t matter much,_ she thought. _If Enos was not on duty, he wouldn’t be using the patrol car at all._ She smiled as she thought of the level of dedication the deputy had to his work. He would never have driven the car unless he was involved in official police business.

Daisy walked up the stairs and opened the door with the intention of walking into the building. As she did, Boss Hogg was coming out.

“Well, Daisy Duke,” he said, his voice emerging somewhere between matter-of-factness and a sneer.

“Where’s Rosco?” She asked evenly.

“The sheriff is inside,” Hogg responded. “Go in there and he’ll have no choice but to arrest you and throw away the key.”

“Arrest me?” Daisy asked, “on what grounds?”

“Abating and assisting a wanted man,” the answer emerged. “Your cousins were seen helping a federal fugitive escape from Rosco’s jail just this mornin’. You’re probably just as involved in this as they are. In fact, I would bet that that fella from the government is probably on his way out to your farm to arrest the whole lot of ya.”

“Even if he were to find the way, he won’t find anyone there,” Daisy said firmly. “That was already established when your sheriff showed up at the farm this morning throwin’ accusations all over the place and sayin’ that his prisoner had escaped. He went on to say that he thought Bo and Luke was involved somehow. The rock bottom truth of the matter is my cousins were not. They had only gone to see the fella because of an unpaid bar tab from out at the _Boar’s Nest_.”

As if to add emphasis to this, Daisy dug in the pocket of her shorts and pulled out three dollars and some change. The money she dropped casually into Boss Hogg’s hand. “Here, that’s the unpaid tab the boys got from that fella. Now if you’re so certain that Bo and Luke are involved in some sort of escape, then you’re just nuttier than a three week old fruitcake.”

“They was here, Sheriff Rosco talked to ‘em,” Hogg responded. “You was probably hanging around somewhere, too.”

“That may be so, but if your sheriff thinks that I was here, then he needs to get his eyes checked. I haven’t been back in town in over three days. I’ve had more pressin’ matters out at the farm because of the county gettin’ flooded. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still gotta have a talk with the law around here.”

“That Daisy is some woman,” the Balladeer said. “She knew how to talk sense into the senseless, at least some of the time. With ol’ Boss Hogg, driving sense home with him seemed a bit like trying to talk a mule into becomin’ a horse.”

With that, she went inside. As she entered the large room, she noticed Rosco was sitting at a desk. It looked as though he was doing the busy work he generally had Enos slave over. Aside from the sheriff, the room was empty. “Rosco,” she spoke.

He jerked his head up as the pen he was using jabbed into the paper. This action left a hole, and he grunted as he reached for a blank sheet. “Daisy Duke, what are you doin’ here?” he asked.

“I’m lookin’ for Enos, Rosco,” she said. “Have you seen him?”

“He ain’t here,” Rosco mumbled. “I done sent him home.”

“Home?”

“Yeah, he left before your cousins could come in here and help that fugitive escape,” he said angrily. “What do you want him for?”

“I just wanted to talk to him,” she said. “I hoped that he would be here.”

“Well, he ain’t,” Rosco shook his head. “Besides, there’s nothin’ for any of ya to snooker him for, so why don’t you just get on out of here? You Dukes can’t do nothin’ but wear us down and make us sorry for doin’ our job.” He reached for his pen and leaned over with the intention of writing out a new form. Instead of looking at Daisy, he kept his head lowered.

“Rosco, this ain’t about you,” Daisy objected.

“Ain’t it?” Rosco looked up, his eyes bearing into hers. “When a man loves a woman and all her family does is go ‘round snookerin’ him, then I would say that it does. ‘Specially if the man we’re talkin’ ‘bout is my deputy and friend.”

“Rosco, I don’t want to snooker anyone, least of all Enos. I’m worried about him, he ain’t been himself,” she paused for a moment as she looked at him, her eyes imploring him to listen. “Please, just tell me when you saw him last and if he was alright.”

“I don’t know if he was,” the sheriff said. He cast a wary glance over his shoulder and then took a deep breath. “I’ll say only that he looked tuckered out, his hair was all mussed up, his uniform all wrinkled, and his eyes were sunkin’ in. I heard that Boss Hogg made him sit up all night watchin’ that big city fella.”

“And Boss Hogg was no doubt threatenin’ Enos with public humiliation if somethin’ happened while that city slicker was under his guard,” Daisy said as she shook her head. “Why are you and Boss always so mean to him, Rosco?”

“I wasn’t here last night to even _be_ mean to him,” the sheriff snapped. “That dipstick told me that the kid was out at the Hazzard Swamp, and I done spent all night out there lookin’ for him. There was no sign of ‘im anywhere out there, and a city kid never would have made it out there without bein’ seen.” He took a deep breath. “Enos ain’t never gone and lied to me like that before. At least not till last night, Daisy, ‘cause I think he did.”

“If Enos ain’t never lied then why do you think he did this time?” Daisy asked.

Rosco shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“When is Enos due back here?” She asked.

“This afternoon sometime.” the response emerged as the doors swung open and George Fox and his associate charged into the room.

As they came over to where he was seated, Rosco sighed. Now what? He asked himself as the shorter of the two men looked at him, his angry eyes meeting the sheriff’s tired gaze.

For his part, George Fox carried a scowl on his face that seemed to cut through solid concrete. “Well, Sheriff,” he said, his voice curt. “Was that little escapade you took part in earlier really worth it?”

Daisy looked at Rosco, and immediately her heart went out to the sheriff. “Rosco, what is he talking about?”

“I’m talking about how your friend here left us in the dust when we were following him out to this ‘Duke farm’ place,” Fox said angrily as he turned and looked at Rosco. “Now, Sheriff, was that a part of your country strategy? Perhaps you were intending on going out there to help Forrester and his kid escape like these Duke people obviously did.”

Rosco sighed before speaking, all the while trying to find a good story that might explain his actions. “Mr. Fox, I wouldn’t do that. I simply got a call ‘bout a brawl out at the Boar’s Nest, so I had to rush off.”

Daisy looked at Rosco her eyebrows arching. She knew that he was lying, but did not say so. If truth were known, her family had been monitoring the CB communications all morning because things had hit too close to home. She reached over and rested her hand on Rosco’s shoulder and then looked at Fox.

“Sheriff Rosco is dedicated police officer, Mr. Fox, he’s served this community for many years,” she said firmly. “And I don’t appreciate you coming in here and shooting off accusations ‘bout my family.”

“No one’s accusing your family of anything, Miss…” Fox’s voice trailed as he looked at Rosco and then at her.

“…Duke, Daisy Duke, and I’ll have you know that I have served this county for a brief time as a deputy police officer,” she said hotly. “Now, unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to work under Sheriff Rosco’s supervision, although I would have preferred it.”

Rosco looked up. “You never told me that,” he managed, his eyes widening.

“You never asked,” she said, her voice still filled with hostility. She held up her hand as a way of indicating that she and Rosco would have plenty to talk about once they managed to send Fox and Wylie on a wild goose chase.

“That’s right, Deputy Daisy was even decorated by the FBI for the capture of two notorious bank robbers,” Rosco managed, all the while grateful that Sheriff Grady Byrd had gotten the resulting humiliation from that escapade. “You can check the police archives, that’ll have all the information about it.”

“I don’t have time for historical research,” Fox snapped, but turned and looked at Daisy, his expression depicting a level of false admiration that would make any con artist proud. “Perhaps you can help us in a similar fashion, Miss Duke. We are looking for a couple of dangerous fugitives. Your help in this matter may actually deem more assistance than the bumbling attempts we’ve received thus far since coming into Hazzard.”

 _Dangerous? Paul and Scott are about as dangerous as Flash the wonder dog,_ she thought with a smirk as she regarded the two men. _Who in the world are they trying to kid?_

Fox extended his hand to his assistant, “Wylie, the pictures.”

Before the taller of the two agents could comply, Daisy spoke. “I don’t think I can help you too much though, Mr. Fox, not in the capacity that you’re implyin’. You see, I’m no longer a police officer here, I just work as a waitress. If you really want to catch anyone around here, then you should let Sheriff Rosco and Deputy Enos help you, they’re the law ‘round these parts, and if they can’t help ya, then no one can.”

Rosco shot her a grateful look, but his thoughts were literally racing. _I don’t know what them Dukes are up to,_ he thought, _but she is doing something to save my reputation in the face of this government guy._ He said nothing to her, but instead offered a slow nod. “That’s right fellas. Of course, I think that your fugitives are probably long gone by now. I can put you in touch with the law in Chickasaw County, maybe they can keep an eye out for them fellas, since they’d stick out like a sore thumb ‘round these parts anyway.”

“I’d appreciate that Sheriff,” Fox said.

“When you get into the next county just contact Sheriff Little,” Rosco said as dug around in the desk and retrieved a small business card. “The number is printed on this card.”

Fox accepted it and stuffed it in his pocket as he and Wylie started towards the door. “Thank you,” he offered stiffly as they left the police station.

Once they were gone, Daisy released a pent up breath and looked at the sheriff. “Is it just me, or does that fella need to cut down on his caffeine intake?”

“I don’t know,” Rosco said. “The mere thought of him dealin’ with Sheriff Little, jit jit…I love it, I love it…”

Daisy laughed and nodded. Rosco did have a point, but after several minutes had passed, her expression shifted and she looked at him, her expression earnest. “Why did ya tell them that, Rosco? I mean; none of us really know if the two fugitives they are huntin’ are even there.”

Rosco shrugged his shoulders. “That don’t make me no never mind. If Fox and Wylie leave Hazzard County, then we’re the better off for it, jit jit…” As his laughter subsided, he looked at her. “Did you really mean them nice things ya said ‘bout working for me?”

She nodded. “A Duke don’t lie, so yeah, I meant it. You’re a lot of things, Rosco P. Coltrane, but I don’t seem to remember you ever makin’ me feel unworthy for bein’ a woman. Ya seemed to give me a harder time about bein’ a Duke.”

Rosco smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I couldn’t very well do that, y’know,” he said honestly. “Enos wouldn’t let me. Every so often I was tempted, but I didn’t. Enos is a good friend, even if he can be a bit of a dipstick sometimes.”

“He’s not a dipstick, Rosco, he’s just an honest man stuck between his duty and his conscience,” she said defensively. “I wouldn’t normally say this, but I do feel bad about all those times I done strung him along. He got into a lot of hot water because of it.”

“Sounds like ya kinda love him,” Rosco said, a bright smirk now shadowing his face.

Daisy lowered her head, but eventually she nodded. “Please don’t tell him, Rosco, you gotta keep this a secret until I can at least sit down and talk to him about it. I don’t want him to find out through a grapevine or somethin’. It just don’t seem right.”

“Like you found out ‘bout his feelin’s for you,” Rosco said now allowing himself to laugh. “He never could hide it all that well, could he?”

Daisy closed her eyes but shook her head as a stray tear streamed down over her cheek. “I was hopin’ he’d be here so I could talk to ‘im now.”

“When he gets here, I’ll tell him to radio ya, Daisy,” he offered.

“Thanks,” she smiled as she started to leave the room. Before she could, she turned around and returned to his side. She rested her hand on his shoulder and that caused him to raise his head. “I’m glad you didn’t catch too much heat from Fox for what happened.”

“Nah,” Rosco shook his head. “If them fugitive fellers were smart, they’d be out of here by now anyway. Forrester did say before his escape that he would be moving east, so I didn’t exactly lie about what I knew.”

“Well, I’m sure Sheriff Little would love to have those two goons breathin’ down his neck,” Daisy said laughing. “Rosco, you silver tongued devil, I just knew that you was plottin’ somethin’.” She wrapped her arm around him and gave him a sideways hug.

“Just don’t go and snooker Enos again,” Rosco said his voice firm.

“I won’t, I give you my word as a Duke,” she said softly.

“I guess that’s good enough,” Rosco chuckled but nodded. “When I see him again, I’ll let him know ya stopped by.”

“Thanks,” she said, her expression softening. “Just try not to be too hard on him about anything duty related, he’s obviously not been himself.”

“I know,” he said sighing.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think that you’re just as worried about him as I am,” she said.

Instead of speaking, Rosco simply nodded and watched as Daisy left.  
  
---  
  
By late afternoon, Enos Strate was rested and reported back on duty. After receiving the news from Rosco that Daisy had left, he retrieved his other messages and went down into the cellblock in order to verify for himself that Paul was gone. “All that work for nothin’,” he muttered as he went back up the stairs and found Boss Hogg waiting. “I’m ‘bout to go out on patrol, Mr. Hogg,” he said. “Unless there’s anything you need me to do?”

Boss Hogg’s sour face looked up from his bowl of large marshmallows and that affirmed for him tenfold that the County Commissioner had been humiliated beyond recognition.

Instead of waiting around for him to verbally attack him, Enos took the stony silence as a ‘no’ and slipped quietly out the front door. As he came down the stairs, he noticed that Rosco had started his car and drove off in the direction of the post office.

On the opposite side of the street, Fox and Wylie were standing with a map covering the front hood of their car. “I tell you Wylie, we’ve been tricked by the whole lot of them. Neither that sheriff nor his fat cohort had any intention of helping us capture Forrester or the kid. This has been the most backwards place I have ever seen. I don’t even know if we should even head to Chickasaw County, or just pack it in and go back to DC.” As Fox was speaking, Enos stopped walking towards his car and made his way over to the two men dressed in business suits.

“Is there something I can help y’all with?” He asked trying to keep his face friendly, but Fox turned and looked at him, his scowl causing the deputy’s smile to disappear.

“No, I think we have received more than enough help from your kind,” Fox said hotly. “There’s no point to this, we might as well get back to DC and put this mud-hole behind us.”

“Ya got outfoxed, is that it?” Enos asked, and Fox looked at him angrily.

“Mr. Fox, why don’t we just get in the car and drive out of here?” Wylie suggested, all the while ignoring Enos’ words. “This town is completely under water.”

“I’m afraid y’all won’t be getting out of town that easily. If you’re drivin’ north in the direction of DC, then you may find that the road in that direction is completely under water. Your best bet is to head back towards Atlanta. Maybe you can catch a plane, and that should bring ya home safely.”

Fox took a deep breath and turned away from Enos. “We’ll manage, thank you for your help,” he said, his cross voice dripping in sarcasm.

Enos nodded as he returned to his patrol car. _City folk sure ain’t the nicest_ , he thought with frustration. Perhaps that was part of the reason he had decided to leave LA and return to Hazzard County. He just felt more at home in Hazzard and the people were much nicer. Although he had proven himself to be a good cop out in California, he just missed the feeling of home that Hazzard seemed to give him. Not to mention Daisy. She had told the sheriff that she wanted to speak to him, but he could not help but wonder what it was she wanted to see him about.

He started his car and drove out in the direction of the Duke farm. At this moment, his mind seemed to drift into daydreams instead of focusing his attention on the road ahead. His thoughts were constantly on Daisy, and he knew that contrary to all the things that had happened, he still loved her.

The words Paul had spoken to him in his patrol car and then later at the jail seemed to be coming back to haunt him. _Maybe if Daisy knew how I felt about her, then she might actually respond to me as I always hoped she would,_ he thought.

His mind drifted back to when he and Daisy almost got married. This was to protect him from being convicted for a bank robbery he was forced to commit. If those crooks hadn't have been caught, then Daisy would now be his wife. _I don’t want to marry her on a technicality,_ he thought sadly. _I want to marry her because I love her and I wish she loved me._

Completely lost in his own thoughts, he drove his car out onto Route 8.

As realization dawned on him as to what he had done, it was now too late. Enos had found himself on a flooded road and could feel the water as it began to seep in from the bottom of the car doors. He took a quick glance outside the window of the car and realized that the water was now up to the middle of the car. This rendered it close to impossible for him to get out through conventional means. His next attempt was to try and roll down one of the windows and climb out through it. He had left his windows closed during the past few days because of the rain, and now he wished he hadn’t.

When he tried to turn the lever to open the windows, none of them would budge. They all seemed to be stuck, probably rusted closed from the overexposure to rain water. He climbed over the seat into the back of the patrol car and took a deep breath as he tried to open the back windows, but when that too failed, he could do nothing but return to the front seat. He knew by instinct that the back doors of the patrol cars did not open from the inside, so it was pointless for him to waste his energy even trying.

After several minutes of tying everything he could think of to get out, he gave up and reached for the CB handlink and switched the frequency. The last thing he wanted was for Rosco to find out about his predicament.

 _If the sheriff knew about this, he’d call me a ‘dipstick’ for sure,_ he thought as he pulled the receiver above the fast-rising water. “Cooter, ya out there? It's Enos, and I need help.” When no one responded, he spoke again, his voice emerging a desperate plea. “Someone, anyone, please answer, I’m really in trouble here. My car is stuck, the water’s comin’ in, and I can’t get out!”

“Enos?” A voice suddenly emerged, and he felt the hope rising in his chest when he recognized that the person who spoke his name belonged to Daisy. “Where are you?”

“Route 8, I didn’t know what I was thinkin’ when I drove out this way,” he began. “Daisy, I’ve been trying to get out, but I can’t get the windows to go down, they all seem to be stuck, and because of how deep the water is, the doors just won’t budge.” As he spoke, his voice rose in panic. “Where are you?”

“Cooter and me aren’t too far away,” she said, her voice weak, but assertive. “Just hang in there, honey.” Her voice ceased, but then emerged once again. “Bo, Luke, did you fellas copy?”

“Yeah, Daisy, we’re on our way,” Luke said. “Y’all just hang in there, and we’ll be there as fast as the ‘General’ can get us there.”

“Be careful, the water here’s much deeper than it looks. You shouldn’t drive out on Route 8 at all. It’s safer to drive up on ol’ Hutchinson Road and come down by foot,” Enos warned. “Please hurry, there isn’t much time. The water is seeping in here faster than I anticipated.”

“By this time, every last one of them knew that ol’ Enos had found himself in a pretty desperate situation,” the Balladeer said.

“We’re on our way, Enos,” Bo responded. “Just keep your head above water, buddy.”

“I’ll try,” Enos said as he placed the radio link on the dashboard of the car. He hoped that it would stay dry until the Dukes and Cooter were able to help him. After several minutes, he closed his eyes but reached into the breast pocket of his uniform and fished out a crumpled up envelope. It was Daisy’s note; the very same one that Bo had given him back at the police station. For whatever reason, he had yet to read it and now he wanted to know what she had written.

He figured that he had nothing else to lose and besides, it was the note from the girl he had loved since childhood. “Daisy…” he whispered as he managed to pull the letter out of the envelope and unfold it. Staring down at the piece of paper, he could feel his eyes tearing up as he tried to focus on the flowing writing that graced the page. Seconds later, he began to read.

~~~~~  
_Dear Enos,_

_I thought about what you said yesterday at the farm and I’m really sorry. I never intended to hurt or make you feel like a fool. I care far too much for you to try and make you feel that way. I don’t want you to think that I would ever choose a stranger over you, because I wouldn’t. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and I have always felt strongly about you. I always thought you knew that._

_Please, forgive me for making you feel like a ‘dipstick’. I didn’t mean to do that to you, I know you’re not. You’re the nicest fella in all of Hazzard County, and I want to make everything up to you. Just please give me a chance to do that for you._

_Love,_  
Daisy  
~~~~~

Enos stared down at the writing for several moments as he took a deep breath. “She cares for me,” he whispered as a stray tear slid down over his cheek. “I have loved that girl since we were in grade school and today I find out that she really does care for me.” He rubbed his face with his hands and stared down at the water that was still seeping into the car. He released the note when he noticed that the ink was smearing across his skin. As it floated atop the rising water, he gripped it in his fist. Just before the CB shorted out, he grabbed it.

“Daisy, are ya out there, honey?” he spoke into it his voice cracking.

“I am, Enos, we’re almost there, just hold on.”

“Daisy, I just want to tell ya…” he began but as he was about to speak again, the water had risen and covered the radio. “…Daisy, I love you.” When he heard nothing in response, he glanced down and noticed that the CB was no longer working. He started to once more push all his weight against the door, but nothing he did seemed to help. “Daisy…” he whispered once last time.

Two minutes later, Enos’ world went black.  
  
---  
  
“By this time, Daisy was just as panicked as Enos had been. The last words she had heard were that he had wanted to tell her somethin’, but she had no idea what he wanted to say,” the Balladeer said. “On top of that, our two strangers also did not seem willing to stick around and wait for someone to read Enos Strate’s eulogy. Contrary to the danger they faced, they knew that they could not leave without lending a hand.”

“We’re coming with you,” Paul said as he looked at Luke. “I may be able to help them.”

“What can you do?” Bo asked. “This is no joke, Paul. Not only are y’all in danger, but we can’t fish ya out if something happens.”

“No, Bo, they should come,” Luke said simply as he looked at his cousin. “I know you think this is mad, but they really should be there.”

“That’s crazy Cuz,” Bo said. “You might get caught.”

“I’m well aware of the risks involved, but we’re partially responsible for what has been happening to Enos,” Paul said softly. “Your cousin knows everything about me, and he seems to believe that I can help.”

“What are you going to do, Dad?” Scott asked.

“I’m going to go down there and find out if there is something I can do to help,” Paul said. “If we leave without doing anything, then I’d never forgive myself if Enos were to die. Contrary to what you may think about him, Scott, he is a very good person and a very caring one as well.”

“Alright, let’s get going, but the ‘General’s’ gonna have to fly if we’re gonna reach Enos in time. You boys are gonna have to hang on,” Bo said as Luke grabbed the CB. “Cooter, how far are you from Route 8?”

“Oh ‘bout two minutes, straight as the crow flies,” Cooter said. “We’ll meet ‘chya there, over and out.”

“Hurry, you guys,” Daisy pleaded in the background.

“Enos is really lucky to have such a good friend as Daisy,” Paul abruptly spoke as he looked at the two young Dukes meaningfully.

Luke arched an eyebrow, but nodded, while Bo started the car and they heard the ‘General Lee’ roar to life. Nothing was said in response to Paul’s words, but the Starman guessed that the two men were thinking about them pretty intently.

Within seconds, both Paul and Scott found themselves plastered against the backseat of the car as the Georgian countryside whipped by in a virtual blur. Several minutes later, they passed a sign that read ‘bridge out’. Scott turned and looked at Paul, his eyes wide.

“I don’t like this, Dad,” he said softly.

“You saw the sign, too?”

“Yeah,” he said as he turned his head. “Oh my God, they’re going to try and jump the river.” As he spoke, both of them could sense that their speed was increasing.

Subconsciously, Paul gripped the sphere that was in his pocket. “If anything happens, I will do what I can to protect us all,” Paul promised as Bo cast a quick look back to them.

“Hang on y’all,” he said and within seconds, they were airborne. “Yeeehaaa!” He screamed out as the car flew through the air and landed on the opposite side of the river. As it touched down, both Paul and Scott could instantly feel the impact from it. A split second later, they both turned around and stared back in the direction of the river as the sound of ‘Dixie’ filled their ears.

“I don’t believe it,” Scott said as he looked at his father. “The last time I was in a car that did that…” his voice trailed as he remembered the deaths of his foster parents.

“I know,” Paul whispered, his arm wrapping around his son’s shoulders.

“Y’all okay?” Bo asked.

“Yes, we’re fine,” Paul managed and Scott weakly nodded.

“How often do you do that?” Scott eventually asked.

“At least once a day,” Bo said with a laugh. “Sure gets the ol’ blood flowing, don’t it?”

“Well, I can see why,” Scott mumbled. “My heart is positively racing.” He paused for a moment. “How much further?”

“We’re just about there,” Luke said as Bo pulled the ‘General’ up next to where Cooter was now parked. The Dukes managed to get out of the car and waited for Paul and Scott to do the same.

Once they had gotten out, they looked out across the flooded out meadow below. From there, they could see that Daisy had already started to make her way down towards the water’s edge. Once Paul could see that the police cruiser was sticking halfway out of the water, he started to run towards it as well, the Duke boys, Cooter, and Scott following.

“Is there a way to pull him out?” Luke asked Cooter as they ran and eventually overtook Paul and Daisy.

“No way, the car’s stuck, but good and the really large wheels are back up at the shop. It’d take me a good twenty minutes to go back there and get it. I’m sure sorry, Y’all, but I’m ‘fraid Enos ain’t got that long. What about the ‘General’, could he swing it?”

Luke shook his head. “I doubt it, that’d put us in the very same fix as Enos.”

“Daisy?” Bo called out and she stopped and turned around. “It’s too dangerous down there. Let one of us go.”

“No, ya ain’t gonna treat me like I can’t do nothing, Bo Duke,” she argued. “Enos is down there, and I don’t care if ya tease me until the sky turns green with pink spots, I’m goin’ down there. The only way you’re gonna be able to stop me is to tie me up.”

Paul, seeing the severity of this, looked at Bo. “The longer you stand around here and argue, the more severe this situation is going to get,” he said calmly. “Look, I’ll go with Daisy and make sure she stays safe, the rest of you stay here and wait for us.”

 _Just like Dad to take charge of the situation,_ Scott thought proudly, but looked at his father. “What should I do?” He asked, all the while knowing that his father would use the sphere to help Enos. He also knew that Paul would want him to act as a diversion.

“Stay with them, Scott, we’ll try and be back as soon as we can get him out,” Paul said.

Daisy simply looked at him, her hand reaching out and taking his arm. “Let’s go.”

“Be careful,” Scott said as Paul and Daisy made their way down the steep incline.  
  
---  
  
Daisy said nothing as they reached the edge of the water and started to wade their way through until she and Paul had reached the car. As soon as they did, she began to bang on the window, her voice emerging frantically. “Enos,” she called his name, but she did not hear any sort of response. When she suddenly saw Enos’ face abruptly pressing up against the glass, she screamed.

By this time, Paul had reached her side as her hysterical words emerged. “We’ve gotta get him out, he’ll die if he’s in there much longer.” She reached for the door handle and started to pull it as hard as she could. When it did not open, she began to cry, her voice emerging so loud that Bo, Luke, Cooter, and Scott could hear it. The four of them exchanged worried glances as Daisy’s passionate words filled their ears.

“Enos! I’m so sorry; I should never have done what I did. I know that this is my fault. I should have told you that I cared more for you than I have ever cared for anyone. Please, you can’t die and leave me, not after you came back to Hazzard from the big city.” Her voice became softer. “You once said that you came back because you missed me and I didn’t believe it, I just couldn’t believe it because I was afraid. Maybe I figured that everything would be just like it was before and I couldn’t stand the idea of it being like that.”

Paul listened but took a deep breath as he rested his hand on her shoulder. “Move out of the way,” he said.

“Why, what are you going to do?” She asked weakly as she stopped trying to pull the door open.

“There’s no time to explain, you have to trust me or it will be too late for Enos,” Paul said firmly. “Just take a step away from the door and let me try and pull it open.”

She did as he said and watched as he simply placed his hand against the door handle. When she heard it click, she watched in amazement as it abruptly opened. “H-how did you do that?”

Instead of offering any sort of answer, Paul pulled the door further open and water began to gush out of the flooded police car. With it came Enos’ unconscious body, which landed in Paul’s arms. “I’ve got him,” he said as he backed slowly away from the car. “He’s not out of the woods yet.” Clumsily, he waded his way through the water with the taller deputy still in his arms. Daisy silently followed him up the side of the cliff and out of the flooded area.

“H-how did you manage to get the door open?” she asked softly as she took in his physical attributes. Paul Forrester did not look strong enough to carry a full grown man. In fact, he looked like he would go down after one sucker punch from Bo or Luke.

As they reached the incline, Paul managed to lower the deputy to the ground. By the time Daisy had reached them, she could tell that Paul was exhausted from having half carried half dragged Enos to the safety of dry land. Instead of speaking, she collapsed onto the ground next to the deputy, her arms reaching out and wrapping around his body. “Enos, please you can’t die,” she began to plead softly as she stared down at his pasty white face. “Oh God, please don’t let him come home only to take him away from me like this,” she prayed as Paul started to sit up and fish the sphere from his pocket. Taking a deep breath, he continued to listen as Daisy’s heartbroken pleas filled the area. “I love you, Enos, please, don’t leave me again.”

She stared for several minutes down at him before leaning over and pressing her lips against his. As with all the other times that she had kissed him, his lips did not move. She suddenly remembered how all the times in the past when they had tricked him and he ended up wet. She could always see him coming out of the lake or river, his hand clasped to his deputy’s hat, his eyes wide with surprise or shock. Now, all Daisy Duke could feel was regret.

“We’re too late,” she whispered brokenly as she raised her head to see that Paul had leaned over Enos’ body, his face near the other man’s mouth.

“No, we’re not,” Paul said softly. “Once I get him breathing, he should be fine.”

“Do you know CPR?”

“No, I don’t,” he said softly, but all the while, he knew that she was terrified. Fear was written all over her face.

Looking down, she could see the metal of the sphere in Paul’s hand. She sat stoically and recalled what Scott had confessed the night before. As his words echoed in her mind, she swallowed and spoke, her voice filled with desperation. “If what Scott said last night about you is the truth, then please, do something to save him.” As she spoke, her gaze came to rest on Enos’ hand where the crumpled up letter was clenched tightly in his fist.

Without thinking of the consequences of his actions, Paul nodded. “I’ll do what I can,” he said softly. She remained where she was sitting on the ground, her hand still on the deputy’s arm and her gaze locked on Paul. He said nothing else; instead, he rested his hand on Enos’ chest and concentrated on the sphere.

“Oh my God,” Daisy managed to speak as soon as she saw the sphere starting to glow and the three of them were suddenly bathed in light. Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and waited for the miracle. Scott had not lied to them at all, she realized, in fact, he was doing what she had begged him to do. He was helping Enos. “You…” her voice trailed as she stared at the glowing light that emanated from Paul’s hand and surrounded them.

Seconds later, Enos coughed, and the water from the flood gurgled up from him as though a fountain. It dribbled down over his chin and seeped into the earth near where he lay. 

As Daisy heard this, she abruptly opened her eyes and could see that the deputy was now breathing and all she could do was to wait for him to come around. “Enos,” she whispered his name as he managed to wearily open his eyes.  
  
---  
  
“A-am I dead?” he whispered when he noticed the blue light that surrounded them. He licked his lips and watched in disbelief as the light slowly faded. As things returned to normal for him, he managed to focus on Paul, who had returned the sphere to his pocket and was now looking down at him through concerned blue eyes. “What happened?”

“You’re okay now, yes?” Paul asked softly.

Enos nodded weakly. “I think so.”

Paul turned and looked at Daisy. Her expression was initially filled with shock, but instead of speaking, she helped Enos to sit up. After several moments, she started to back away from Paul. “Who – I mean; what are you?” she eventually asked, her hands, she held up as though warding him off.

“I’m just a friend, Daisy,” he paused as he tried to find the right words to say. “I’m nothing more than a weary traveler who has stopped off here in Hazzard County for some of your hospitality.” Taking a deep breath, he continued to speak, his eyes seeking hers. “You have nothing to be afraid of, I won’t hurt you.”

Daisy nodded numbly, but it was apparent to Paul that she did not believe a single word. “H-how did you do that?”

“I want to explain, but this is not the right time or place for that,” Paul said simply.

“What did you do, Mister?” Enos asked wearily as he looked at Paul. “You helped me with that blue light, didn’t you?”

Paul nodded. “I only did what I had to do.”

Instead of responding to Paul’s words, Enos looked at Daisy. “Can you get up?”

“I think so,” Enos said, but when he tried to stand up, he fell back down on the ground. “Maybe I should wait a few minutes and try and catch my breath,” he offered before turning and looking at Paul. “I said you was smart, but I really had no idea that you were able to do things like magic.”

“It’s not magic, Enos,” Paul said softly. “Sometimes, it is our experiences that grant us wisdom, not how smart we perceive ourselves or others to be. For what it’s worth, I think you’re very smart. You were smart enough to know what happened and try to accept it for what it is.” He looked at Daisy. “My son told you about me, and he said that I mean no one any harm.”

Instead of responding to this, she found herself collapsing into Enos’ arms. The deputy was taken aback by this, but slowly, he found the courage to raise his arms and embrace her as well. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think he’d hurt either of us, Daisy honey,” he said softly as he felt her shivering from beneath his touch.

“I know, Enos, but I’m still afraid,” she whispered.

Paul rested his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know if this is because of me, but I think she may still be in shock. We should probably get both of you out of here before it gets dark. That way you can get warm and dry.”

Daisy looked at Paul, her eyes still regarding him warily. She could still not explain away what had happened even though she knew that she had witnessed Paul Forrester saving Enos’ life. From looking at the deputy, she figured that he knew it too. Rather than acknowledge the truth in what Paul had said, she turned around and looked at Enos.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Enos,” she whispered as she looked down at the wet piece of paper that was still tightly clenched in his fist. She knew that it was the same letter that she had written to him. _He must have kept it with him throughout his ordeal,_ she thought as a wave of affection washed over her as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved. “I didn’t want to hurt you and I didn’t want something terrible to happen to you, either.”

“It’s okay, Daisy honey, I know,” Enos said softly, “I’m alright now.” As he felt her hold on him tightening, he began to wonder if his lungs were once more filled with water.

“At that moment, the realization washed over him that he was still holding onto her and although he was still exhausted, he was also happy because of her nearness,” the Balladeer said.

Once their embrace had loosened, both Daisy and Paul helped Enos to stand up. With her still holding him from one side, Enos turned and looked at Paul. “I don’t even remember ever hearin’ or findin’ out your name. Before we get outta here, I just want to say thank you for helping me out of there.”

“My name is Paul, and I’m really glad I could be of some help to you Enos,” he said sincerely.

The deputy nodded. “It’s strange, the last thing I remember was bein’ trapped in that car and wantin’ to tell Daisy how I felt. Then everything went black and I woke up and saw you leanin’ over me. There was this light all ‘round me, and for a second I thought I had died.”

“You nearly did die,” Paul said softly.

“I figured as much,” Enos said, but paused before he continued speaking. “I reckon that light probably explains why it is those fellas from Washington want to catch ya so badly. They probably think you’re some sort of threat to us, but somehow I don’t think you are.”

“No, Enos, I never was,” Paul offered weakly. “I’m just here to help my son find his mother so that we can be a family.”

“Is that why you didn’t try and hurt me when I arrested you?” he asked as he cast a wary glance back in the direction of his patrol car.

Paul nodded, “yes.”

“I should probably do it now,” the deputy said softly.

“No, Enos, you can’t,” Daisy objected. “No matter how scared I may be of him, you can’t throw him back in jail after all this. I mean; h-he saved your life, I saw him do it.”

“Don’t worry, Daisy, sometimes my heart does win out over my duty,” he looked at her with a playful grin. “Besides, my cuffs are back in the car,” he laughed nervously. “Ya wanna go swimmin’ for them?”

Daisy shook her head as she wrapped her arms around Enos and they started to make their way back up the incline to join the others. As they reached the group, Bo looked at his cousin and took a deep breath. “Daisy, are you okay?” he asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” she offered still holding onto Enos.

At this point, she didn’t care what her cousins said or if they even intended on teasing her. _What was it Uncle Jesse always said?_ She asked herself. _Boys just gotta be boys._ She knew her cousins meant no harm in their teasing, but she also knew that she had done her share of poking fun at Enos as well. Now as she looked up at him, she knew that she would never tease him again.

“Well, let’s get y’all out of here and head back to the farm,” Luke said. “Enos, you ride with Daisy and Cooter, okay?”

“Thanks Luke,” Enos said, but Daisy stopped them abruptly and shook her head.

“What about Rosco and those fellas from DC?” she asked. “If we show up with Paul and Scott, then they’re bound to arrest both of them. You heard what Rosco said on the CB yesterday.”

That’s true,” Bo said.

“Y’all let me handle the sheriff,” Enos said. “I’m not about to let him arrest the man who saved my life. Nor will I let him arrest his son,” he said as he cast a wary glance in Scott’s direction. Upon hearing that, the teenager nodded hesitantly as the deputy continued. “Now, as for that fella from DC, if I know him, he’s probably tryin’ to find the quickest way out of Hazzard County.”

“I don’t want to rain on your parade, Enos, you seem wet enough, but you know that you ain’t never stood your ground with him before. What makes you so certain that he’s even gonna listen to you?” Luke asked his voice filled with his own brand of rationality.

“Well, I guess it’s about dang time I stood my ground, isn’t it?” Enos asked. “Would y’all just trust me this time? I won’t let anything happen to them.”

After looking at Bo and Luke and seeing them nodding, Cooter took charge. “We’ll then it’s decided.” He leaned inside the cab of his truck and grabbed the CB. “Crazy Cooter calling Shepherd, we found Enos and we’re comin’ home. Put the soup on and grab some towels. We got ourselves some wet rats who are gonna need ‘em.”

“10-4, Shepherd out.”

Paul and Scott watched as Enos and Daisy went over and got into the cab of Cooter’s truck. Soon the two of them started to make their way back over to the ‘General’. “Scott, Luke isn’t the only one who knows about me,” he confessed before the Duke boys had reached them. “Daisy and Enos know as well.”

Scott nodded, “I figured. When you started, I could see you from where we were standing and tried to divert everyone’s attention, but it didn’t work so well. Luke seemed to know exactly what was going on while Bo and Cooter started talking about these adverse weather conditions. I almost laughed out loud. What are you going to tell Enos and Daisy? She looks terrified and I never thought I’d see the day that that lady would be scared of anything.”

Paul patted Scott's shoulder and smiled. “I know. I’ll talk to the three of them before we leave.”  
  
---  
  
When the Duke boys joined them, Luke watched as Paul and Scott got back in the back seat of the car. “Will we be doing anymore jumps?” Scott asked nervously as the two of them got back in the front seat of the car.

“You wanna?” Bo asked with a mischievous smirk. “I can always arrange it.”

“No, I think once is enough for me,” Scott muttered. “If I’m going to fly, then I think I’ll stick to an airplane.”

“Or a spacecraft?” Luke asked coyly as he shot a knowing look at Paul.

“Or that,” Paul said trying to play along. “My spacecraft didn’t have wheels, though. It was a bit different sort of flying.

“I’ll bet,” Luke said as Bo looked at them curiously.

“If Uncle Jesse heard you talking like that Luke, he’d have you checked upside downside for loose screws,” Bo said and laughed. “Besides, if I’m gonna do any flyin’, then it’s gonna be in the ‘General’ here.” He tapped the steering wheel lightly.

Luke nodded, and shrugged his shoulders, but no further words were spoken. Instead they rode in silence back to the farm. As luck would have it, the driveway was empty except for Jesse’s truck and Daisy’s jeep.

Cooter pulled up beside the truck and Bo pulled the General up on the other side of the jeep. Once they stopped, Bo and Luke climbed out and watched with bemused expressions as Paul and Scott tried to get out of the car.

Once they had the earth beneath their feet, Scott followed the two cousins inside while Paul stood outside staring out across the pasture. He turned his head to see that Daisy and Enos had also gotten out of the cab of the truck and were walking hesitantly over to where he stood.

As soon as they reached him, he turned and looked at them. “I think there are some things I must try to explain to you,” he began.

Enos nodded, “That might be a good idea, but Daisy needs to get warm and dry first.”

“What about you, Enos, you’re just as wet as I am?” Daisy said as she heard a sound in the distance and looked up to see Rosco’s car coming up the drive. “Oh no…”

Enos turned and looked at her. “Go inside, Daisy,” he said. “You better get along too, Paul. I’ll take care of the sheriff, and I won’t betray y’all.”

“I know, you won’t,” Paul said as he ran to the front door, but Daisy remained where she was and watched the approaching police car.

“Daisy, I said you should get inside,” Enos said. “Now go and let me handle the sheriff.”

“But Enos…” she began, her voice faltering.

“Please, just go inside and let me take care of this,” Enos said firmly. “I’m not as big of a dipstick as you think.”

“Sure Enos,” Daisy whispered defeated as she followed Paul into the house.

Enos remained outside and waited until Rosco had pulled up to where he was standing and got out of the car. “What are ya doin’ here, Sheriff?” He asked.

“I should be askin’ you the same question, Enos,” the sheriff said. “First things first, why are you all wet and where is your patrol vehicle?”

“I’m afraid the car is gone, Sheriff,” Enos said, “a casualty of Route 8. I can imagine that when the flood waters go down, Cooter can tow it back in.”

“What were ya doin’ out on Route 8?” Rosco snapped impatiently, but after a second, his voice lost its edge. “You know it’s flooded out there, you dipstick.”

“It’s a long story, but I suppose I should have realized it before it happened, but I had a lot on my mind,” Enos admitted. “But with all due respect, Sheriff, I do know that I ain’t the sharpest tack in this here county, but I sure ain’t no ‘dipstick’, either.”

“Oh Enos, you know I don’t mean nothin’ by it; it’s just my way. You also know how an old dog like me can’t change his spots so quickly,” Rosco said, but it was clear that he was taken aback by the blunt words of his deputy. “You do remember the last time you started tryin’ to defend yourself, don’t cha?”

“Yeah, I do, Mr. Hogg done gone and fired me,” Enos said. “Right now, none of that matters to me anymore.”

“Why would you say somethin’ like that?” Rosco asked. “You’re a good lawman, you had to have been to get a job out there in California and leave all your friends behind. It was a brave thing for ya to do. So what bee has been in your bonnet these days anyway?”

“Today, the suspect that we’ve been pursuin’ saved my life, Sheriff,” Enos said softly. “He extended his hand to me when I needed help. How many people do you know of who would do that?”

“Oooh, not many I don’t suppose,” Rosco muttered.

“Well, yeah, and you know I can’t arrest someone who does somethin’ like that, it wouldn’t be proper like,” Enos said honestly. “I also refuse to do it, respectful like of course.”

“He really did save your life?” Rosco asked. “How’d he do it?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I would have drowned on Route 8 if that stranger hadn’t have gotten me out of the car. He put his life and his son’s in danger to save mine,” Enos said. “So, if you want to search this house, you’ll have to get an official warrant to do so and that probably won’t happen till tomorrow sometime when the judges are workin’.”

“Boss probably wouldn’t do it either,” Rosco chuckled but took a deep breath. “Look, just go and dry off before you catch your death. I’m headin’ back to town.”

Enos smiled and nodded. “Yes Sheriff.”

“Oh and Enos, take the rest of the day off, I think you got some things that need tendin’,” he said as he went over to the patrol car and opened the door.

Slipping behind the wheel, he looked down at Flash, who was sleeping in the passenger seat, the dog securely buckled in. “The dipstick, I mean; Enos, has gone soft, hasn’t he, Velvet Ears?” He laughed despite himself. Starting the car, he turned back to see that Enos was still standing in the drive watching him.

Rosco shrugged his shoulders, shifted his car into gear, and drove away from the Duke farm without looking back.

“Ol’ Rosco had his own thoughts filterin’ through his mind; one being that a good deputy and friend like Enos Strate was hard to find,” the Balladeer said. “Yes sir, it now looked as though Rosco would have to be the bearer of bad news and tell Boss Hogg that two fugitives managed to slip right through their fingers. He had no regrets about that, especially since Fox was about as nice and encouraging as dining out with a rattlesnake.” He paused before continuing.

“Of course, the sheriff did not know how his brother-in-law would take this bit of news, but that it really didn’t matter much to him. Enos was alive, and if this Paul Forrester fella really did save his life, then not only did Enos owe him a debt of gratitude, but Rosco himself did as well.”

Rosco chuckled as he drove back in the direction of town. _Boss Hogg probably wouldn’t care much about this turn of events anyway,_ he thought smugly. _After all, it wasn’t like there was any sort of reward being offered._  
  
---  
  
Enos stared at the car until it disappeared in the distance. _I don’t think I’ll ever know why it is the sheriff gave up so easily on finding Paul and Scott like that,_ he thought. _He ain’t never gone and listened to me before._ He shivered as the cool breeze blew around him and decided to get inside and try to dry off.

He returned inside as Bo came over and handed him a fresh shirt and jeans. “Here you go, it ain’t much, but at least it’s dryer than your uniform.”

“Thanks Bo,” he said.

“Don’t mention it, Enos,” he said as the deputy started to walk away. Before he did, he turned around. “Hey buddy; we’re still friends, ain’t we?”

Enos nodded, but smiled unconvincingly. “Yeah.”

“Well, get back there and get changed before we have to nurse you back to health with Uncle Jesse’s chicken soup.”

He left the room and disappeared into the cousins’ bedroom. “You see what we meant, Uncle Jesse?” Luke said, both he and Jesse had overheard the short exchange. “He ain’t himself, and I don’t just mean the swim on Route 8. Enos has been behavin’ like…”

“…Like maybe a man in love,” Jesse finished as he raised his head to see that Daisy came into the room, the sundress she now wore hanging down and brushing against her ankles. She had managed to dry her hair and now the curly locks were brushing against her shoulders. Upon hearing her uncle’s words, her face lost all its color. _Could Enos really be in love, and with someone other than me?_ She had always thought that the shy deputy had loved her, but now she was not so sure.

Jesse looked up at her to see that she was biting down on her lip and looking none too comfortable. “What about you, Daisy?” he asked. “You want to tell us what you’re thinkin’ about, honey?”

She shook her head as she slowly backed towards the door leading outside. She could suddenly feel the tears as they began to stream from beneath her eyes.

“What’s the matter?” Luke asked.

Instead of offering any response, she turned around and ran outside. Behind her they could all hear the door slamming and Jesse turned and looked at the two boys.

“You fellas go in the kitchen and see if Paul or Scott would like something to eat. When Enos comes out, warm up some soup for him, too. I don’t generally force my will on folks outside the family, but I want you both to make sure he eats somethin’. That boy needs some nourishment in the worst way after his ordeal and we really don’t need him gettin’ sick.”

Bo and Luke nodded. “Yes Sir,” their voices ringing out almost simultaneously as they left the living room. As they came in the kitchen, they watched as Jesse went outside and found Daisy sitting in the passenger seat of ‘Dixie’, her white jeep. He climbed into the driver’s seat and looked at her.

“Now, I ain’t gonna help you run away from this, Daisy,” he said smiling, but waited for her to turn and look at him. As she did he could see the tears that were uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks. “Now, I want you to tell me what’s wrong? You don’t usually cry unless somethin’s really botherin’ you.”

“Oh Uncle Jesse, I don’t know what’s the matter with me,” Daisy cried, her voice cracking with every word. She felt herself falling into her uncle’s arms. She shook her head as she tried to block out Enos’ nearly drowned face meshed up against the window of the flooded out patrol car. Against his chest, she began to speak, her words emerging in a sob. “When we were out on Route 8 just now, Enos almost died and I…”

“…You started to feel regret,” he finished for her as he ran his wrinkled hand through her hair. “It happens darlin’, generally when death is knockin’ at someone’s door, and you don’t know what you can do to stop it.” She nodded against his chest but his next words made her raise her head and look at him. “I’m gonna ask you a question and I want you to answer me without lying. You hear me talkin’?”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.

“You really love that boy in there, don’t you?”

“I think I do,” she whispered, but nodded. “I-I know I hurt him real bad though, and I know that today I might have lost him for good. When we got out there, I started to think about all the times that I felt happy, I mean really happy. I remembered that day when I found out he came back to Hazzard. He was washin’ Rosco’s car, and when I honked the horn, he fell backwards into a bucket of water. I helped him back up and saw this blob of soap along his cheek. He looked so endearing like that, but it was more than just that. I realized how much I missed him when he wasn’t here, and I thought about him every day. Whenever I’d say my evenin’ prayers, I would ask God to take care of Enos so that he might one day come back home. I remembered all those times when I’d see the deputy’s car followin’ us, and I would internally hope that it was Enos drivin’ it. For two years, it never was Enos, it was always Cletus…”

“…You’re very fond of Enos, it’s been that way since you were kids,” Jesse said nodding. “But, Daisy, are you finally willing to admit to him that you love him?”

“I’m scared to tell him, Uncle Jesse. Enos always wore his feelings on his sleeve, he was always such a gentleman, and I never told him how much I cared for him because I was scared of what everyone else would say or that you’d disapprove. I didn’t want him to have to choose between the career he loves and me.” As she spoke, she rubbed the tears from her, now stinging, eyes. “I just knew that whenever Enos was around, I had a reason to smile. I wanted him to know that I cared, but I didn’t know how to tell him. Uncle Jesse, I’ve never had problems talkin’ to another fella, but with Enos it’s different, and if I had asked him for some time alone, then it would’ve been too obvious to everyone. Whenever we did happen to have some moments alone, I could never really find the words to tell him how I felt.”

“Now Daisy, you know this ain’t about all those others, it’s about your and Enos’ happiness. It’s about two young folks who ain’t yet found the courage to tell each other about their feelings. The whole county knows that he cares for you, but he ain’t never really been able to find the gumption to speak his heart to you, because he’s scared. Maybe now it is really time for both of you to trust yourselves enough to open your hearts and talk about it.”

She looked across their property and nodded. “I know you’re right, Uncle Jesse, but I still need a few minutes to collect my thoughts.”

“Then you go do that Daisy, but let me give you a little piece of advice,” he said, his blue eyed gaze never faltering. “Love is a very fragile, but beautiful, thing. I shared that with your aunt and when she died, I could let ‘er go without regret. I knew that she was safe and happy in the arms of the Lord. Now, I don’t wanna see you watching another person go and then living with regret. Enos Strate nearly died today, and that really showed all of us how much you love him.”

“How could you tell?” she whispered.

“Easy, you contemplated what your life would have been like without him, and you realized that you couldn’t bear it,” he said. “That’s what love truly is, baby girl.”

“Are you disappointed in me or the man I love, Uncle Jesse?” she asked softly.

“No, I never was, Daisy,” Jesse said as he shook his head. “I’m very proud of you.”

She nodded and after giving him a hug, she climbed down from the jeep and walked with weighted steps over to the barn. As she came inside, she looked around the emptiness of it. Memories flooded over her and she shook her head.

Walking towards a bail of hay, she sat down as the tears continued to fall from beneath her unhappy eyes.  
  
---  
  
By this time, Jesse had made his way into the house. “One down, one to go,” he muttered under his breath as he sat down at the table. Enos was nervously sitting next to him, his arms crossed in front of him and his fingers running against the flannel shirt Bo had loaned to him. He kept his head lowered, his dark brown hair hanging lazily over his brow.

Paul and Scott had joined Bo and Luke in the living room and seemed to have occupied themselves with tales of nascar races and daredevil stunts. For Enos’ part, he sat with the spoon casually stirring the contents of the soup that was placed before him.

Taking note that his nephews were not present, Jesse smiled. It’s all the better, he thought as he looked over at Enos, his wise old eyes taking in the deputy’s hunched over stance. “You know, that soup would do more good in your stomach than in that there bowl.”

Enos raised his head and looked at Jesse. “I’m ‘fraid I ain’t got much of an appetite, Uncle Jesse.”

“Perhaps not, but pacify an old man by eatin’ a few bites, we don’t need ya gettin’ sick now,” he said gently.

Obediently, the deputy brought a spoonful of soup to his mouth and ate it. As he swallowed, he looked up at Jesse. “You always know what I need.”

“That’s why you’ve got friends, Enos,” Jesse said as inched his chair closer and rested his hand on Enos’ shoulder. “The boys told me you haven’t been yourself lately. You wanna talk about it?”

Enos raised his head. “I never know what to say,” he offered weakly.

“It must be about Daisy then,” Jesse said. “You don’t usually clam up and hide away unless it is about her. Now, you can’t hide your feelin’s from me, Enos. I used to have the very same ones for my wife, may the Lord bless her soul.”

Shamefully, the deputy lowered his head. “When I was trapped in that car, the only one I could think about was Daisy. I was so afraid, Uncle Jesse. I knew I didn’t wanna die, and I knew that I never came that close before, not even when I was workin’ out in California.”

“You wanted to tell Daisy that ya loved her and was afraid you’d be too late,” Jesse said matter-of-factly as he motioned outside in the direction of the barn. “Enos, Daisy’s inside the barn thinkin’ things over.”

“W-what’s she thinkin’ about?” he asked weakly.

“Well, if I didn’t know no better, I would bet that she’s thinkin’ ‘bout you,” came the simple response. “Everyone in Hazzard County knows that you care a great deal for Daisy, Enos. I have seen my niece meet up with some pretty rascally characters in my day, many of whom I wouldn’t have minded sendin’ up a river. I have always sent Bo and Luke in to look out for and keep her safe. But there’s only one fella in all of Hazzard County that I can really trust her with and I’m a lookin’ at him.”

Enos swallowed, the lump in his throat growing by the minute. “I do care for her, Uncle Jesse,” he said, his voice cracking.

“I know you do, and before all this gets blown out of proportion something terrible, you and she need to talk to one another. You both need the time without having Bo, Luke, or even me, comin’ in, stirrin’ things up, and makin’ you all nervous-like. You have a choice to make right here, right now. You can either run away like a scared rabbit, or you can hunker down and face whatever comes.” He smiled encouragingly at him, but reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You know, Enos, sometimes it’s not easy for a fella to tell a gal that he really loves her. I know you care for Daisy, but ‘care for’ and ‘love’ are two different things. I care for you, but I don’t love you.” He chuckled as Enos offered an acknowledging smile. “The point is; there have been enough chances for you to tell her how you feel.” He regarded the younger man meaningfully. “Now, the time is ripe, don’t you think?”

“Yes, sir,” the deputy whispered, his voice trembling. “I do, Uncle Jesse.”

“Incidentally, did you ever notice how I sometimes let you get by with callin’ me ‘Uncle Jesse’ although we’re not even kin?” Jesse looked at Enos, his wise eyes meeting those of the younger man. “I never let Cletus get by with that, in fact, whenever he called me that, I got downright ornery with him.”

“Yes Sir,” the deputy whispered as he swallowed.

“Well, I generally let that slide by with you more often than with those other fellers because to me you’ve always been rather like kin. Sometimes I think you need to have someone around to help you out,” he said. “Now, I know we’ve snookered you quite a bit in the past, and you remember what I once said to you about that?”

“About how deep down inside, I was wantin’ to be snookered?” Enos asked weakly.

Jesse nodded. “Y’know, we weren’t just here to make you look like a fool, Enos. We don’t just tell you things to get you in trouble with those two varmints in town. We also don’t do it to find a way to weasel our way out of a tight spot. We tell you what we do because we know that amidst your duty to this here county, you also have a conscience.”

“I do try,” Enos said.

“I know, we all know. Even when Bo and Luke are acting like a couple of high school kids in a locker room, you know that they care about you. Daisy told me how happy she was when you came back. She hadn’t seen you in over two years, Enos, and although you ended up all wet, she was so happy that day. Even when Coy and Vance were livin’ out here, they showed that they were your friends too. I think deep down inside, you’ve always known that you do have friends here.”

Enos nodded. “I really do care for y’all too.”

“I think that’s why what happened yesterday with Daisy hurt ya so much,” Jesse said. “I know it did, I could tell, and although I didn’t say anything about it while you was here, I did say a few things to her after you left.”

“I didn’t mean for Daisy to get into trouble,” Enos said as he looked down at the soup. “I couldn’t help gettin’ a bit upset, I felt like I’d been taken for a fool again.”

Jesse shook his head. “You never were, Enos. It was your conscience that was talkin’ to you. You were once more being torn between doin’ what you knew was right as opposed to what you’ve been told. Sometimes, the sign of being a good man means tryin’ to piece together and balance out what you’re doin’ against what others are tellin’ you to do. Don’t ever let another person dictate your morals for you, Enos. Listen to that voice in your heart, and let that be your guide.”

He nodded. “Sometimes doin’ that can be scary, Uncle Jesse.”

“Yes it can, but I think if anyone can do it around here, you can,” Jesse said. “Start by getting out to that there barn and talking to Daisy.”

Enos nodded. “Yes Sir,” he whispered as he nervously got to his feet and started to walk towards the door leading outside. Before he could step outside, he stopped and turned around. “She could reject me, Uncle Jesse.”

“Or she could say ‘yes’,” he said. “The way I see it, you got a fifty / fifty chance, Enos, but only if you go out there and talk to her. If you don’t, your chances won’t even be that good.”

Enos nodded and stepped outside.

Jesse approached the kitchen window and nodded approvingly. “There is hope for that boy after all,” he muttered as Enos disappeared around the corner of the house and made his way towards the barn.  
  
---  
  
“Now for Enos to speak openly about his feelings is like trying to convince a turkey to rationalize becoming Thanksgiving dinner,” the Balladeer said. “Most of y’all might think that since Enos had survived nearly drowning, that talking to Daisy Duke would be a cinch, but that’s not exactly the case. Sometimes a man would prefer the physical dangers over speaking their heart to the girl they love.”

Enos raised the latch on the door leading into the barn and pulled it open. Before walking inside, he stuck his head around the door and spoke. “D-Daisy,” he called out, a lump about the size of potato lodged in his throat, “you in here?”

Instead of hearing her speaking, he could hear the sounds of someone crying. He stepped towards where the sounds originated and took a deep and staggering breath as he spotted her sitting on a bail of hay with her elbows on her knees and her face covered with her hands. “Daisy?”

She lowered her hands, but kept her head lowered. “I’m right here, Enos,” she managed to speak, her voice cracking. Seconds later, she could feel the bail shifting as he came over and sat down next to her.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he rested his hand gently on her shoulder.

“I don’t know,” she whispered as she raised her head, but lowered it again as fresh tears streamed down her face, leaving her cheeks red and puffy. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably and she bit down on her lip. “Enos, you could’ve died today.”

“I know,” he said softly as he looked around the barn instead of at her. “I probably should have died, but the good Lord decided He didn’t want me patrollin’ the streets of heaven just yet.” He laughed weakly at his attempt to lighten the mood.

“Please Enos, don’t make jokes about this,” she said, her voice quivering. “I was so afraid!”

Hearing the desperation in her voice, he took a deep breath, all the while feeling his heart ache as he thought about how his words had affected her. “I don’t mean to make light of what happened,” he said gently. “I was scared too, Daisy, I didn’t want to die,” he whispered softly as he inched closer to her and wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulder and drew her into his embrace. She sank against his hold, her head coming to rest against his shoulder and the tears continuing to fall.

“Enos,” she whispered his name, her arms holding tightly to him and this time, she buried her face against his chest, her tears dampening his shirt. She feared that if she let go, that he would disappear. “I’m so sorry…”

He raised his head. “I read your letter and I know you didn’t mean for everything to get so messed up yesterday. Please don’t feel bad about that anymore, it’s all right.”

She raised her head and looked at him. “But I do. We were always doing stuff like that to you, Enos, and it was so cruel.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I done plenty of messin’ up myself,” he said smiling down at her. There was that gentle understanding in his words and Daisy found herself biting down on her lip and shaking her head.

“You never got mad at me until yesterday,” she whispered. “Up to that moment you were always there for me when I needed you. That always happened, whether I deserved your kindness or not.”

“I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with you,” he said gently, “I know that now.”

“I deserved it, though, and you…you were right about everything,” she whispered, all the while unable to make eye contact with him.

Enos reached over and touched her face. “You know, the truth is, I was a tad bit jealous of Paul. I was sort of afraid that he could move a mountain for you, while I was incapable of movin’ much of anything.” He shook his head regretfully. “I suppose I’m too much a coward to even try.”

“You’re not a coward, Enos, you’re the bravest person I ever knew,” she said as she reached for the same hand that had touched her face. She laced her fingers through his and smiled weakly as he looked down at their interlocked fingers.

“You ain’t stringin’ me along now, are you, Daisy?” He eventually asked.

She shook her head as she lowered it. “You really have to ask me that?”

“No, I believe you,” he said softly. “I’ve always believed in you, even when you didn’t believe in yourself.”

“Are you remembering when I was a deputy?” she asked weakly.

“Yeah, I was remembering that,” he said. “It seemed like so long ago.”

“About five years,” she said as she raised her head and looked in his eyes. “You’re a good friend, Enos. I just want you to be more than that.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I always knew that whenever you tried to do something nice for me or talk to me, Bo and Luke were always around to give ya a hard time for it. It’s not personal, it’s just their way.” Daisy looked at him. “It was never easy for either of us to really talk about it and I know that we needed to.” She reached over with her free hand and pressed his hand between both of hers. “N-now that we’re alone, I don’t even know how to say what I feel.”

“Me neither,” he said softly as he shrugged his shoulders. “Uncle Jesse thought it best that I come out here and talk to you and tell ya that I care for you.”

“I know you care for me, Enos, I’ve known since we were kids,” she whispered. “When we were on that canoe on the lake, you told me you loved me, is that true?”

“It’s true, I love you more than anything,” he whispered. “I always get so tongue tied with you and I don’t know why. It’s always been that way. When I stop and think about it, I suppose for Bo and Luke, I was probably a pretty easy target.”

“They weren’t tryin’ to hurt you, Enos, they’re just bein’ Bo and Luke,” she said softly. “It doesn’t excuse it, but you know how they are, sometimes they act like a couple of overgrown kids.”

“I know that now Daisy,” he said smiling. “I suppose yesterday I didn’t realize it, but I think I’ve always known that I could count on your family to help me through those difficult times. You and your kin have always been there to help others out, even those who meant you no good will like Sheriff Coltrane, Mr. Hogg, or me.”

“That’s not true, Enos Strate, and you know it,” Daisy raised her head and looked at him. “I never once thought badly of you for becoming a lawman and never thought you meant us any harm by it either. I didn’t back then and I don’t today.” With this outburst behind her, she lowered her head and took a deep breath.

“I never did mean y’all any harm,” he said, “least of all you.”

She nodded. “I know. I wanted to tell you how much I love you, but I was so afraid,” she shook her head despondently, her gaze now on her feet. “I’ve never been scared of talkin’ to a fella, not even when I probably should have been afraid of ‘im. But right now, I’m so scared, Enos.”

“I always thought that it was just me that was afraid.”

Daisy shook her head, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “No, it wasn’t just you. I was so afraid that you were going to die and then leave me with so much left unsaid. That’s why I wrote that letter, because I was afraid that your feelings towards me had changed. I didn’t need Uncle Jesse’s lecture to know what I’d been doing. I was just too stubborn about admitting how my life would be empty without you in it.”

“Oh shucks, Daisy, you don’t have to explain all this to me,” he said, his shyness starting to take over and he stood up.

“No, Enos don’t go,” she pleaded with him all the while wondering how she was going clear this particular hurdle with him. “There’s so much that I need to tell you, only I don’t know where to start.”

As these words filled his ears, he nodded as he once more seated himself next to her. “What is it, Daisy?” he asked softly.

“It’s just that, ever since you got framed for that robbery and we almost got married, I’ve been thinkin’ about you just about every single minute.” As these words filled the barn, she could feel her emotional roller coaster once more sending her on another round. She pulled one of her hands away in order to swipe at the tears that were streaming down her face. “I’m not always tough like you think. Ever since that happened, I kept thinkin’ ‘bout how I wished that it had been real and we had actually gotten married.” More tears followed and she did not see that Enos’ face was now red as a beet.

After several seconds had passed, Enos leaned over and began to wipe the tears away. “Don’t cry no more, Daisy. You just might get me started.” As he felt the wetness still against her cheek, he took a deep breath as he pulled awkwardly on the sleeve of the shirt that he was wearing and began to dab it over her wet face.

“Why are you doing that?” She asked softly.

“I ain’t got a dry hanky on me,” he said smiling but looked at her intently, his hazel eyes checking for the last of the tears. “That’s much better; you’re much too pretty to go around with a wet face.”

“I don’t feel pretty at all, Enos,” she said regretfully. “I feel like mud.”

“You ain’t mud, you’re the prettiest girl in Hazzard County,” he said sincerely. “When I went out to Los Angeles, I thought maybe I could find me a girl who could hold a candle to you, Daisy Duke, but I never could. I was always countin’ the days until I could come back and see ya again.”

“Really?” she asked.

He nodded and smiled shyly at her. “I love you too much to try and lie to you ‘bout something like that.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” she said softly. “Oh Enos, I didn’t have the courage to tell you that I always loved you as well and my heart broke into pieces when you left for California. I should have told you this a long time ago, but I really did miss you something terrible.”

His shy smile broadened as he looked deeply into her eyes. “Daisy, I don’t want this to seem forward or anything, but I would really like to…to…to kiss you.”

She looked into the eyes of the deputy and nodded her head as she reached over and touched his face. “I really don’t care if it is forward, Enos. I think I’d really like that.”

“What happened in the car doesn’t even compare with how I feel right now. My heart is just racin’ like crazy.”

Daisy nodded as she rested her head against his chest. Beneath her touch, she could feel the rhythm of his heart. He had been right about one thing, his heartbeat was literally racing. “Oh Enos,” she whispered.

After several moments, she felt his hands gently holding both sides of her face, the touch gentle. He hesitated for only a moment before he tenderly tilted her face up until she was looking deeply into his eyes. She smiled weakly as she felt him shyly moving towards her. When his lips were only inches from hers, she could suddenly feel his soft breath against her skin. The scent of soap and Jesse’s chicken soup was the last thing she could sense as his gentle lips captured hers in a kiss that was pure, sweet, and loving.

As soon she felt the pressure of his lips against hers, she began to slowly move her mouth beneath the pressure and wound her arms around him.

After a few moments, he suddenly drew away, his face etched with surprise at having been this bold with her. “Daisy,” he whispered as a nervous laugh emerged. He touched his lips lightly as a bright smile suddenly plastered itself across his face.

“I love you, Enos,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I always have.”

“I love you, too,” he responded in kind.

Instead of speaking, she nodded slowly, her eyes still filled with tears. “I didn’t realize how much until I almost lost you back there,” she allowed her body to collapse against him. “If it weren’t for Paul, I would have.”

“Well, that’s all over now, darlin’, you have nothin’ to worry about,” he said smiling gently down at her. “You’re not going to lose anyone now.” He pulled her closer, lowered his head, and kissed her again, this time the kiss longer and deeper than the first one.

Daisy eventually allowed her lips to part beneath the pressure. She raised her hands so that she could touch the short dark hair that covered the back of his head. As the kiss ended they were both smiling.

Before either of them could say anything, Enos remembered the words that Jesse had told him less than half an hour ago. _Listen to that voice in your heart, and let that be your guide._ Maybe Jesse did not just mean that when it came to doing a job, but he also meant it for now, when it came to matters of the heart.

“Uncle Jesse told me something that made a lot of sense to me. He said that that there’s a difference between caring for someone and loving them,” he whispered as he gently stroked her face. “I always did say that I cared for you Daisy, but I never had the courage to tell you how much I’ve always loved you. You only heard it through the grapevine.”

Daisy smiled sadly. “I know I let you down in the past and you still love me.”

“With all my heart,” he said softly as his hold on her tightened. Before he knew it, he could feel his own tears escaping from beneath his eyes as he buried his face against her shoulder. He only hoped that she would not notice that he was now openly crying in her arms.

“Just promise me you won’t leave me again,” she whispered.

“I promise,” he said softly as he backed away and she could see the dampness on his face.

Daisy smiled as she reached for the sleeve of his shirt and wiped his face with it. As he noticed this, he smiled at her. “You’re too much,” he said laughing as he tried to pull the sleeve from her grasp. What he did not expect was for her hold on it to be quite light and he fell backwards off the hay bail, and right into the loose hay that scattered the ground.

Daisy giggled and dove in after him. When she caught him, she wound her arms around him and smiled as they exchanged another kiss.

“Now friends, it would seem that Enos Strate has found his own internal strength during these past few days. Of course, with these confessions, that’s in no way the end of our story,” the Balladeer said. “Now, y’all stick around, there’s more.”  
  
---  
  
“It was nearly an hour later when Daisy and Enos returned from the barn, their long talk leaving them both smiling as though they had won the Lottery,” the Balladeer said.

As they came inside, Daisy noticed that Paul was sitting at the table alone, his eyes staring down at a road map.

Darkness had once again fallen on Hazzard County and both Paul and Scott knew that time was nearing for them to leave.

“Paul,” she said, her hand still holding tightly to Enos’. As her single word emerged, he raised his head and smiled when he saw the two of them together.

“Hi,” he said. “I was just going over this map. You don’t suppose if we can get out of Hazzard county, we might find a ride to get us out of Georgia.”

“I heard that you told Sheriff Coltrane that you wanted to go to Atlanta,” Enos said.

“That’s too risky for us to do that now,” Paul said softly.

“Then that means you can’t tell us where you’ll be goin’?” Enos asked.

Paul shook his head. “No.”

“Why?” Daisy asked. “I mean; if we were asked we’d just tell ‘em that you’re on your way to Atlanta?”

“I can’t lie,” Enos said.

“I know, Sugar, that’s probably why Paul can’t tell you. He knows you wouldn’t lie,” Daisy said as she looked at Paul. “Is that right?”

Paul nodded. “Yes, but there remains something that I must do before we leave.”

“Maybe we should go outside,” Enos said. “The sky is awfully pretty tonight and that seems almost fittin’ for what we gotta talk about.”

Daisy nodded and ran to get a woolen blanket out of the living room before joining the two men outside.

As they stepped outside, the first thing they noticed was how right Enos had been. The night sky was filled with stars, the light brighter than any of them could have anticipated. Further away from the farm house, Paul smiled as he realized how the stars seemed to shine brighter in Hazzard than in most places, probably because of the distance they were from the lights of the big city. He took a deep breath as they went over to where the cars were parked. Once they had all climbed into the back of Jesse’s truck, Daisy spread the blanket out around the bed and they sat down. The silence of the area engulfed them, but they were all suddenly jarred out of their contemplations when Daisy spoke.

“So which one is it?”

Paul inched over to where the couple was seated. “That one,” he said and pointed. “Astronomers call it ‘Algeiba’.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” he said. “It is a very different world and is not like Hazzard County, I’m afraid.”

“Possum on a gumbush!” Enos exclaimed.

Paul looked at him not sure what to make of this, and he started to look around for a possum, but when he didn’t see one, he looked at the deputy. “Define gumbush?”

Daisy just started to laugh. “It’s just an expression. Enos always says that when he’s surprised or astounded by something. I guess we are both a bit surprised by what has happened and what we have seen. You saved Enos’ life and although I don’t know how you did it, I’m really grateful that you did.”

“I couldn’t have done otherwise, you are our friends and you have helped us get away from Fox. That alone makes both Scott and me beyond grateful.”

“But still…” Enos began, his voice catching in his throat. “…I’m alive because of you.”

Paul rested his hand on Enos’ shoulder. “Yes, you are my friend, and now you know what to do.”

Enos nodded, “possum on a Gumbush,” he mumbled under his breath a second time and when Paul looked at him, he blushed slightly.

“I like that phrase, ‘possum on a gumbush’,” Paul said trying all the while to say it in the same intonation as Enos had done. “Is that right?”

Enos’ began to laugh, but he nodded. “It’s right, but I think you need help with the dialect. It doesn’t quite sound southern enough.”

“I like it best when you say it, Enos,” Daisy giggled, but after a moment, they all grew silent.

“The idiosyncrasies of language were safe enough, but both Daisy and Enos had questions for Paul, and time was runnin’ out for them to ask and they both knew it,” the Balladeer said.

Eventually, Enos swallowed his shyness and looked at the alien. “Paul, is your son like you? I mean; is he from the same place you are?”

“Half of him is like me, yes,” Paul said. “His mother’s name is Jenny and we met when she was living in Wisconsin. I first met her when my spacecraft was shot down and crashed not far from the cabin that she and her husband had built. I remember at first how she was afraid of me. Perhaps it was because in my desperation to survive, I had to force her to help me. After a day or two, she started to trust me and did so willingly. She had a free spirit and was always strong or courageous during those moments when one could easily be afraid. She saved my life when she helped me to get home.”

“And you came back?” Enos asked.

“I had to, my son was in trouble and there was no one to help him,” Paul said.

“That’s really special,” Daisy said. “You’ve got Scott and you still love his mother, even after all this time.”

“I love her more than anything,” Paul said. “Scott and I found her recently, but we got captured, and then ended up losing her again. It was a terrible loss for us and my son never got to see her.”

“That’s what you meant when you said that I should tell Daisy how I felt while I had the chance,” Enos said. Unconsciously, he reached for her hand and smiled when he felt her fingers encircling his hand. “You really could understand how I felt.”

Paul nodded. “I wanted to tell you more about Jenny when we spoke yesterday, but I was afraid that if you knew too much about us that you could have gotten in trouble. I didn’t want that to happen to you, Enos. I think you’re one of the kindest people I’ve met since coming back to this world. You’re unique and special just as you are, and you have the love of a woman who will stand by you no matter what. That’s truly a very special gift, hold onto it.”

“I will,” Enos affirmed. “I know that havin’ Daisy in my life is a gift, but are you sure you want to leave Hazzard County, just like that?”

“It’s not a question of wanting to, it’s a question of having to,” Paul explained. “We cannot stay here knowing that Fox is nearby. It would be too dangerous for us, I think you know that.”

Daisy nodded. “Will you at least answer our questions before ya go?”

“Of course, that’s why we’re out here,” Paul said. “All that I ask is that you not say anything to anyone about what happened on Route 8 until after we’re gone.”

“If this causes y’all so many hang-ups, then why did ya save my life?” Enos asked. “You didn’t have to; you would’ve been safe had you just left me out there.”

“Perhaps, but there absolutely no way I could have left Hazzard County without doing so. Keep in mind that that would not have changed the Sheriff or Boss Hogg’s minds about us, they would have tried to capture us simply because of the belief that there was a reward being offered.”

Nodding Enos’ face suddenly lost much of its color. “I done told the sheriff that you saved my life. I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

“Did you tell him how he did it?” Daisy asked.

“No, he probably wouldn’t have believed that my life could be saved by a silver marble.” Enos laughed weakly. “I was there and I don’t much believe it myself.”

In response to these words, Daisy looked at Paul. “How did you do that with the light?” she eventually asked.

Paul reached into his pocket, pulled out the sphere, and showed it to them. “It’s a form of concentrated energy. Scott once called it a ‘Swiss Army Knife’, because it can do so many things. It actually only allows us the capability to do certain things. I suppose to you; that may seem miraculous or different. I can show you more if you would like to see it.”

Daisy looked at Enos, but then her eyes came to rest on Paul. “More?”

“Just give me your hand and don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said and watched as she nervously extended her hand to him. Once he turned it over, he gently placed the sphere in the palm of her hand. “Now, look at me.”

She nodded but instead of making eye contact with him, she stared down at the object. After a second, Paul spoke her name, “Daisy?”

“Yeah?”

“Look at me,” he said and waited for her to raise her head and look into his blue eyes. As she did, he shifted his gaze only a fraction so that he could see the sphere. Seconds later, the sphere began to glow as light filled the back of the truck. Impulsively, Enos wrapped his arm around Daisy and stared at Paul as the light began to fade. Within seconds, he felt the brilliant light enfolding him.

“Wow,” she whispered as the light disappeared and she was left looking at the metal sphere now resting in her hand. “I think Cooter was wrong, maybe you can fix a car with that thing.” As she spoke, she began to roll the small silver sphere around in the palm of her hand. “This isn’t from earth, is it?” She returned it to Paul.

“No, it’s not,” Paul said as he returned the object to his pocket. “It’s from the same place I am.” He started to crawl out of the back of the truck, but Enos stopped him.

“I know the best ways to get you and Scott outta here and I’m also sure that Bo and Luke can act as a sort of diversion in case the sheriff has a change of heart,” he said as he inched his way over in order to crawl out of the back of the truck. “Let us help you, like you helped us.”

“Thank you,” Paul said as Enos climbed out of the truck.

“Where are you going?” Daisy asked.

“Right now, I need to talk to Cooter about somethin’. I’ll be right back.” He offered a casual wave as he raced back towards the farmhouse.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” Paul said.

Daisy looked at him once Enos had disappeared inside. “I’m not sure if I’ll get another chance, but I really want to thank you for everything you’ve done. You helped me to admit how much I love him and now we’ve found our way back each other.”

“I know you love him, I could tell, and he loves you as well,” Paul said softly. “He told me that when I was in jail, but he said that he was so afraid to tell you. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from humans is how you can be at your best when things are worst. Maybe it is that way with feelings as well as actions.”

“I won’t ever forget what happened on Route 8,” she said as she stared towards the house and saw Enos coming back outside. “No as long as I live.”

Moments later, Enos had reached the truck and smiled at them. “We’re all set, Cooter’s gonna meet us in an hour at the county line,” he said.

“What did you do?” Daisy asked.

“Just some car related arrangin’,” Enos said as Cooter came outside, jumped in his truck and sped off.

Daisy nodded and looked at Paul. “I guess you outer-space fellas ain’t the only ones roamin’ the county with secrets.”

Paul nodded as he stood up and started to climb out of the truck. “I still have to talk to Luke, but I wanted to tell you both that you should never forget that you have something very special here. It is something that both Scott and I wish we could have.”

“I know, and to think it took meeting up with you for me to actually realize it,” Daisy said as she too crawled out of the truck and grabbed the blanket and began to fold it. Without thinking about what she was doing, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the alien and embraced him.

As she drew away, she smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Stay safe Paul, and if ya can make it back to Hazzard County, then come, you’ll be welcomed here with open arms.”

Enos nodded in concurrence and once Daisy had released her hold, the deputy embraced him as well. “Thank you, for savin’ my life and for everything you’ve done.”

Paul returned the embrace before backing up and silently returning to the house.

As soon as they were alone, Daisy looked up at Enos. “You were never scared of him?”

“Should I have been?” Enos asked smiling. “He saved my bacon back on Route 8 and he gave me a chance to be a man. I don’t even have to mention all the wise words he offered. It really gave me somethin’ to think about.” Without warning, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “He gave me a second chance and this one I won’t go and mess up, Daisy.”

“I know you won’t, and I won’t either,” she said softly as they remained outside and stared up at the sky. “Can you believe that there was a real alien in Hazzard County?” 

Enos looked to the heavens and when he saw the stars that patterned the sky, he glanced back over at her. “Which one did he say it was again?”

“That one,” Daisy said and pointed before as she wrapped her arm around him. “But, there is a brighter star right here.”

“Which one might that be?” he asked.

“The one who’s standin’ beside me,” she said smiling as she turned and looked into his eyes.  
  
---  
  
Luke was still busy in the kitchen when Paul came back inside the house. He raised his head and smiled. “Hey there, Enos was just in here and whatever he’s got cookin’ sure sent ol’ Cooter back to town in a hurry. You have any idea what’s goin’ on?”

“No,” Paul said. “Enos left when we were talking and then came back acting like what Scott might call a ‘secret agent’.”

“Must be left over from the time that Enos spent out in LA,” Luke said smiling. “That boy actually became a better driver through his time out there than I could have even imagined. He sure earned my respect when he did that.”

“Did you ever tell him that?” Paul asked.

“I always thought he knew,” Luke said as he tossed the towel on the table and sat down. “To be honest, I kept thinkin’ ‘bout what you said when we were leaving the swamp to go help Enos. I saw how you put you and your son at risk to help him. Then you came out and told us that he was worth it. We always knew that, but then after what I saw you do in town, something told me that you had the power to help anyone out of a pickle. After all that, you said that Enos was a very lucky person to have a friend like Daisy. I found myself admitting that it wasn’t just Enos’ luck, it was ours as well. This whole family is lucky to have a friend in Enos.”

Paul nodded. “I did say that, because it is true. Luke, I can’t thank you and your family enough for going out on a limb for Scott and me. You didn’t even know us but you went out on a limb to help us. For that, I am very grateful to you and your family.”

“Well, as we say ‘round these parts, a man is only as good as his word,” Luke said. “Our Uncle Jesse taught us that.”

“Your Uncle Jesse is a very good man,” Paul said. “He is a unique person who opens his home for strangers and helps those in need. He’s an example of overwhelming goodness that is manifest in humanity. He didn’t know anything about us, but he took us in and helped us anyway.”

“He just knew that you meant no harm, and I think he’s quite fond of Scott,” Luke said. “He probably reminds Uncle Jesse of me when I was that age. He looked like me a bit, and is smart as a whip.” Luke laughed out loud and Paul nodded as he continued. “I remember gettin’ into all kinds of trouble when I was that age, but somehow knowin’ where my roots were and seekin’ help from my family whenever things got hard. Scott’s learnin’ to do that, particularly when he came knockin’ at our door. Paul no matter where you’re from or what you’re doin’ here, I cannot hold anything against you. You’re bringing that boy up right.”

“I was away from him for a long time,” Paul admitted softly. “I can’t make up those years that I missed, but I can be there for him now and try to be a good father.”

“I know what’s you’re sayin’,” Luke nodded, but instead elaborate on his youth, he looked at Paul. “I saw ya save Enos Strate’s life earlier today, and well, that was a pretty good reason for me to trust ya. Daisy loves him, and I can’t imagine any other fella being with her. When you saved him, you saved a part of our family. His name ain’t Duke, but it might as well be because he is a part of all our lives, even if it’s his job to give us all sorts of grief now and again.”

Paul nodded. “I had to help Enos, it was within my power to do so, but it was also the right thing to do. When I can do things to change or help another, then I guess there’s more to it than just watching out for myself.”

“Just answer me one question,” Luke said as he nodded. “Are you really from outer space or were you just yankin’ my chain?”

“I would never lie to you, but the answer no, I am not from this world,” Paul said taking a deep breath. “I know that it seems hard to believe but I ask that you please not tell anyone about what you have seen me do until we’re gone. Enos said he talked about me a little to the sheriff, so that just affirms that we have to get out of Hazzard County tonight. I’m going to go and tell Scott that have to go.”

“Well, the last time I saw ‘im, he was talkin’ to Uncle Jesse and Bo out in the living room. I don’t know what they were discussin’ but with your son’s curiosity, I can well imagine,” Luke said. “Enos seemed to imply that you’re gonna let us help you one last time.”

“I’m not sure I completely understand,” Paul said taking a deep breath. “But, yes, he wanted to return the favor, although I said it was not necessary.”

“Daisy and Enos will take you and Scott to the county line. I’m sorry that we can’t take you much further than that. I think once you hit the main highway, you should have no problem makin’ it to the state line.”

As Luke was speaking, Bo and Scott came into the kitchen.

“Hey Dad, what’s going on?” Scott asked.

“We have to go,” Paul said.

Scott looked at the two Duke boys and sighed. “Story of my life,” he mused. “I meet some good friends and then have to say good-bye and take off again.” As he was speaking, Jesse came in behind him.

“Well, one thing nice about havin’ friends is that they remain in your heart no matter what the distance may be,” he said. “Just ask ‘ol Enos, he’ll tell ya all about absence makin’ the heart grow fonder.”

Scott nodded. “Thanks Mr. Duke, for everything.”

“Well, it’s my pleasure, but you can forget the formalities, you fellas just call me Jesse like everyone else round these parts do,” he said. “We’re not much on formalities, especially among friends.” He looked at Paul. “Now, I don’t know what you did, young fella, but thanks for doin’ it whatever it was. Bo here said that you did somethin’ to help Enos and I’m sure glad ya did it.” He looked at Bo and Luke. “Now, you two better scoot, Rosco and his government buddies may still be afoot and ‘ol J.D. may still have ideas about rewards dancin’ in his greedy little head.”

Bo and Luke nodded and headed outside. Once they were gone, Jesse looked at Paul and Scott. “Now you two skedaddle outta here and if ever you need a roof over your heads, just stop in anytime.”

“Thank you, Jesse,” Paul said with a smile as he shook Jesse’s hand. “We’ll do that.”

Before leaving, Scott embraced the older man. “Thank you for everything, Uncle Jesse,” he said. “I know you’re not really my uncle, but you’re more like an uncle to me than anything else.”

Jesse nodded and chuckled. “You both take care of yourselves.”

Paul and Scott nodded before leaving the farmhouse for the last time. As they came outside, they could see the ‘General Lee’ racing off towards the main road.  
  
---  
  
“That night, Bo and Luke took off through the streets of Hazzard County as a decoy to keep George Fox at bay,” said the Balladeer. “Of course, Fox and Wylie were hidden away at the hotel trying to get themselves out of town. They had long since lost their interest and drive. Of course, their car was several blocks away stuck in a mud hole and waiting for Cooter to radio in to help them.

“It’s funny how things like that happen, ain’t it?” He paused. “While Bo and Luke were doin’ that, Daisy and Enos took Jesse’s pickup truck and drove Paul and Scott to the border of the neighboring county.”

As they reached the point where they would be letting Paul and Scott out, Daisy looked at Paul. “Do ya still have the keys to my yellow car?”

“Yes,” Paul said. “I nearly forgot to give them back.”

“Don’t bother,” Daisy said. “The car’s yours. It ain’t much, but it should help y’all get out of the state. It’s pretty much a disaster since it blew up some years ago. Cooter managed to jigsaw puzzle the thing back together and restore it, but I don’t need it anymore.”

“That’s a nice thought, but Daisy, that won’t help much, the car is back near your farm in a ditch,” Scott said.

“Maybe not,” Enos said as he smiled at the teenager. “I paid for the repairs on it, and Cooter is supposed to meet us here in two shakes.”

“How much is a shake?” Paul asked and Scott began to laugh.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Enos said laughing. “A shake is a couple of minutes.”

“I think it’s going to take my dad some time to really get used to the way y’all talk,” Scott said laughing.

“It was obvious that he was trying to say the word without any sort of emphasis affixed to it,” the Balladeer said. “Of course, he also failed miserably at it.”

“Well, I never completely lost it out yonder in LA,” Enos said and smiled at the teenager. “Scott, it’ll stick with ya if it’s meant to.”

“I’ll take that as your word, Enos,” Scott said. “You’re a lot different than most cops I’ve met. I mean; you’re really cool, and well, my dad is right, you’re really a nice guy. I hope that my saying that you’re different doesn’t offend you.”

He shook his head but looked down for a moment before raising it again. “I’m not offended, but I do wish that I could find the words to thank you and your daddy for all your help,” he began. “I hope that ya’ll find your mother, Scott, and can become a real family.”

“Thanks,” the teenager said smiling. “I hope we can come back and see you soon. You’re all really nice. Of course, I still think I’d prefer walking to jumping rivers in cars.”

Daisy smiled and nodded. “One day, y’all will come back, and have no choice but to get used to riding around with my daredevil cousins. Who knows? Maybe the next time y’all are passin’ through, you’ll meet up with a lady with a gold ring on her finger, and not living out at her uncle’s place anymore.”

“Here’s hoping you can convince him,” Scott whispered as he nudged her.

After several minutes had passed, Cooter arrived with Daisy’s old yellow car. He got out and came over to Paul. “Now then city slicker, we gotta tone ya in on how we stay in touch in Hazzard County.”

Scott laughed as his father cast him a strange look, but they went over to the car and Cooter gave Paul a crash course on CB talk. “Now, all ya gotta do is come up with a handle so no one, not even Fox will know it’s y’all.”

“I think you already found his handle, Cooter,” Daisy said. “City Slicker.”

“You know, Daisy,” Enos said. “Cooter’s CB lessons generally do cause more trouble than help, especially in this case.”

“True, but at least it will be some sort of insurance for him. At the very least, he still needs to work on his accent a bit” she giggled.

As they finished the fine tuning on Paul’s CB talk, Daisy gave him a map and smiled. “Now, I know you were readin’ this at the table, Paul, but are you sure you know your way outta here?”

“Of course,” he said. “Before coming here to work as a photographer, I was a mapmaker,” he said. “This map should help get us to the state line, right?”

“Yep, it should,” Cooter said. “Y’all take care now.”

Paul looked at Enos, and smiled impishly at the deputy. “As long as you’re not chasing us, Enos, I think I’ll manage just fine.”

“Bye, Paul,” Enos said and chuckled softly. “Scott, you take care of your daddy, alright?”

“I will,” the teenager said. “Thanks for helping us, Enos.”

The deputy nodded as Paul and Scott climbed into Daisy’s car and drove away. As soon as they had disappeared in the distance, Daisy smiled. “Ya think we’ll ever hear from that City Slicker again?”

“Who the heck knows?” Cooter said, as they opened the door to Jesse’s truck. As they did, Paul’s voice filled the cab.

“Breaker one, breaker one, it’s the City Slicker, you got your ears on?”

“Shucks, folks,” Cooter said with a wide grin, “I done taught him everything he knows.” He grabbed the CB and spoke. “Crazy Cooter here, City Slicker, you got a smooth path through to the line, y’all don’t be a stranger now, ya hear?”

“That’s a big 10-3.”

“No Dad, it’s 10-4,” Scott’s voice emerged suddenly. “That’s a big 10-4, Crazy Cooter. We’ll see y’all the next time the yellow hurricane blows through town.”

At that Daisy began to shout. “Yeeehaaaaa!” She threw her arms around Enos and kissed him enthusiastically. As he wrapped his arms around her, Cooter’s annoyed voice emerged.

“Get a barn, y’all,” he said as the three of them jumped back into the cab of Jesse’s truck and took off back in the direction of Hazzard County.  
  
---  
  
Further down the highway, Paul turned and looked at Scott. “That was really fun,” he said. “Do you think they liked it?”

“I know I sure did,” Scott nodded. “That was great, Dad.”

Paul chuckled. “I never would have guessed that I’d actually use those lessons Cooter gave me.”

“Well, you did,” Scott said enthusiastically. “I will admit flying in a car was a lot better this time around.”

“Yes, and I actually started to get used to that guy with the guitar and the narration,” Paul said smiling. “It seems rather quiet without him.”

“I thought it was kind of weird at first, but it sort of grows on ya, doesn’t it?” Scott asked as Paul turned briefly to look at him. “I mean; you.”

Paul chuckled, his attention returning to the highway. “I still have a question, Scott.”

“Shoot?”

“Define ‘y’all’?” Paul asked as Scott burst out laughing.  
  
---  
  
“Back in Hazzard County, everything pretty much got back to normal. Enos and Daisy started courtin’ one another,” said the Balladeer. “George Fox ended up stranded in Hazzard County with Wylie for 8 days straight until the flood waters subsided.” There was a pause, and some guitar music came up. “Rumors started flyin’ that a certain county deputy and a certain Boar’s Nest waitress were gonna tie the knot, but, they were only rumors. Course they were sort of started by Uncle Jesse. He also started working on that phobia of police uniforms that he’s had since his moonshine runs and it looked as though he was handlin’ it quite well.”

Another pause. “I guess it just goes to show that anything can happen in Hazzard County. In this case, Enos saw the light, and it was _blue!_ ”

The End


End file.
